I Would Die For You
by TMBlue
Summary: COMPLETE! On a mission after the Final Battle, Hermione and Ron are separated and each subjected to Firewild smoke, a weapon developed by Death Eaters that causes the person affected to enter an alternate reality where their worst nightmares come true.
1. Chapter 1

**I Would Die For You**

**Monday.**

The field was vast and empty, but a cold wind had settled mere feet above the grassy ground, and the damp earth sucked it in like an addiction, a craving that could not be satisfied. Though all was still, a rumble beneath four sets of feet pushed back against them as they ran, wands out, towards the darkening horizon ahead.

"Harry..." a muffled female voice whispered to the mist as they pushed forward, their feet beginning to stick in the muddy grass.

"Not much farther..." came another female voice from a shorter girl with wild brown hair and wide eyes.

The ground began to slope down in front of them, and as they drew closer, it became clear that they were nearing a cliff, beyond which was something unknown, but a destination that they all seemed intent on reaching nonetheless. As the reached the edge, a tall ginger haired wizard with a face full of freckles reached out for the bushy haired witch's hand, but it slipped through his fingers as the ground roared to life again.

"They're here," whispered a dark haired wizard, his fringe not quite concealing the lightning bolt shaped scar across his forehead.

"What should we do?" came the first voice again, her long auburn hair blowing in the breeze, her eyes widening, but brave, her hand clenched firmly around her wand.

"We shouldn't have separated," said the tallest of the four as he brushed his ginger hair out of his eyes, turning his back on the cliff to face the others. "We should have stayed with..." but what he thought they should have done was not to be known to anyone but himself. Four flashes of light burst through the air simultaneously and seemingly from nowhere, and the four of them were thrown violently in four different directions, the tallest flying into the air, free falling now into the unknown dark world below the cliff.

The sun's last rays reflected off the bushy brunette witch's eyes as her back was slammed into the ground. She raised herself a fraction from the earth to stare, horror-struck, at the Death Eaters that now stood in the midst of them. And in an instant, she was shouting _his _name as he slipped away from her view, off the edge of the cliff... towards what she could not see.

Her eyes searched for the others, darting around in the dark mist as she heard their voices echoing from a distant place... but she could not tell which direction the sounds came from. And before another thought passed through her mind, before she was able to push all the way up on her shaking elbows, a wand tip was thrust against the side of her head. Tears poured down her dirt covered face as she desperately fought with her logical mind for a way to _get to him._ But the cold, harsh laughter that filled her ears vibrated inside her head like an echo in a metal cave... and she was lost. Her wand was no longer in her hand...

"Gotcha," came the rough, deep voice of the hooded man to her left. Her eyes flicked towards him as he reached a thin-fingered hand into his deep robe pocket and pulled out a glass vial with a silver cap. "It's empty," he shouted to someone behind her, someone she had only been able to sense until now... until he reached forward furiously and forced his hands under her arms, pulling her fiercely to her feet. "Don't let her get away," said the man who still stood in the shadows to her left. "The lot of them are worth more than all our Gringotts vaults combined."

The arms under hers tightened and pulled until her back was pressed tightly to his front, and, with dismissive regard for the balance of her feet against the cold, wet earth, he pulled her backwards into the trees, his arm only tightening each time she struggled against him, each time she let out a tiny sob, each time a new wave of tears soaked the front of her shirt, dripping steadily onto his callused hands where they clasped her middle firmly. Her breath hitched painfully in her chest with each tug of his arms around her, and as the darkness of the forest around them closed in, her eyes searched one more time for some movement in the field where she had been moments before with _him_... where his fingertips had lightly brushed against hers as he had reached unsuccessfully for her hand... one last time.

* * *

She couldn't tell how long she'd been there, in this damp, cold room made of stone... but she could still hear their voices outside... those vile, unfeeling voices that would not leave her alone... would not let her _think_...

Plans for escape had passed through her mind over and over since she'd arrived, the same facts listed in a very methodical way.

_Burst down the door, but they've taken my wand._  
_  
Apparate away... but they've taken my wand._

So she prepared herself, kept her strength and her wits, waiting... waiting for the stone door in front of her to open at last. It was her only chance, her only option now. What were they planning? What did they want with her? Why was she not already dead?

And then, as if they had finally heard her desperate thoughts, finally understood what she was waiting for, the door opened... and no one stood on the other side. A trick... _a trick..._

She approached the door slowly, cautiously, knowing that she was likely to be trapped, to be shoved roughly back, laughter perhaps echoing in the stone corridor outside... but there was nothing. Silence. The door was open. All was silent.

And suddenly, as if from nowhere and everywhere all at once, a strong, deep voice filled the space all around her.

"Move down the hall towards the light."

She stared, wide-eyed, out into the long hallway, her heart pounding furiously in her chest. If she complied, she'd be doing as they wanted. But what choice did she have? Here in this room, she had no hope of escaping... no wand, no way out... So, carefully, slowly, she took a step through the doorway and out into the corridor beyond, her eyes searching for any sign of movement from either side, but the narrow hallway had no doors that she could see on either side of it. And she was moving forward towards a thin line of light at the bottom of what she could only assume was a door to somewhere... to whatever fate she was destined to.

She had nearly reached the light when the voice echoed again on the stone walls around her.

"Come inside, little girl, through the door..."

She pushed, and the door opened.

The room beyond was vast, the ceiling tall, the light from the torches lining the walls illuminating almost every surface, casting a glow about the place, a strangely shadowless room where black cloaked figures stood watching her entrance with enthusiasm as if awaiting a gift, as if hardly able to contain themselves from retrieving the prize that had wandered so innocently, so helplessly, into their midst.

"Take off your cloak," ordered that same deep voice, and she hesitated for a moment, once again weighing her options... but she complied, her cloak falling to the ground behind her as she slipped her arms out of it slowly. "Good... good..."

Two of the figures before her advanced slightly, their boots clapping against the stone floor.

"You are the one we've been waiting for," came the voice again. "The most valued, the most important..."

Her mind jumped to Harry, to how much he was sure to be worth to them... and she pondered the value of her own life in their eyes when measured against The Boy Who Lived... Again.

"He," came the voice, as if reading her mind, "will surely be a catch, indeed. Yes, yes."

So Harry had not yet been captured. Harry's alive. Harry escaped... she felt immensely relieved, though she did not dare show it across her face as she continued to stare forward, her expression blank, emotionless.

"But you, the Mudblood, the dirty, filthy swine..."

She felt her eyes begin to fill with tears again at the way the voice so calmly, so soothingly, spoke such hateful words to her.

"You will be the most fun. You will pay dearly for what you have done."

Two more of the men before her took a step in her direction, and she felt herself involuntarily lean back slightly away from their advances.

"Ah, be patient..." said the voice, and this time she knew that the words had been directed at the Death Eaters in front of her. They stopped advancing at once and stood stone still in front of her, all of their hooded heads facing in her direction. "One at a time, but you will all have your revenge. _We _will all have _our _revenge."

She stared forward, unmoving, unflinching, but terrified of what was coming. And she was alone. Completely, utterly alone. There was no one to help her, no one to hear her screams...

"You see," said the voice again, "our master did not wish for you to live. But what we will do… it will not only be for revenge. Now that the Dark Lord is gone, your blood belongs only to us."

Several of the Death Eaters in front of her seemed to get a bit uncomfortable with the shift. It wasn't hard to imagine that the ones who had once served Voldemort would now want to avenge his death, but to think that they could speak positively in any way of the death of their master... She swallowed her tears as she imagined what might be coming next. And she tried not to think of the voice all around her coming from someone... _someone_... who, in light of the recent death of his master, could now be planning his own reign, his own war...

"Take her, Rowle," came the voice again, and a very large man approached her slowly, hungrily. "Do as you wish with her."

"Yes," hissed Rowle as he moved closer... closer. Hermione took one step back, but he lunged for her and grabbed her robes in his fist, yanking on them until they ripped. He tangled a thick hand in her hair and pulled so tightly that blood began to trickle slowly from a small spot on the top of her head. She cried out desperately in pain, knowing that it was no use, sure that her cries would only cheer them on, only make it better for them... whatever it was they were going to do to her... And Rowle was pulling at her clothes again, inch after inch of her bare flesh exposed to his greedy hands and eyes as he peered out from under his hood at her.

"Please..." she whispered to no one at all, her body shaking now.

And suddenly, Rowle slammed his hand into her chest, throwing her painfully to the stone floor. And as if in slow motion, she watched as he stood over her, his robe billowing around his huge frame as he raised his arms triumphantly... she closed her eyes... and saw only one thing... only one person... his eyes... _his eyes_...

"Ron..." Hermione whispered as she crawled back to the wall and pulled herself up against it. Rowle's echoing laughter was the last thing she heard before she turned blindly on the spot, hopelessly, desperately... and then she was being sucked away, her body pulled in that familiar way as if through a tube...

A vast, dark field lay before her. He was here. She knew he was. Somehow... she had been pulled to him. Somehow... she had Apparated without her wand. And she knew that he was near. She had not thought of a place when she had turned moments ago, she had not remembered the first D... destination. Only him. Only Ron.

So she ran. Her aching legs carried her forward as her eyes flicked over the ground, the mist covered ground...

A shout broke through her frantic search and her head snapped towards the sound.

"Stop her!!" They were running behind her... in front of her... surrounding her. Three of them.

"No..." she pleaded as she looked away from them. "Ron!" she screamed, her voice breaking as she scanned the space between the advancing Death Eaters and where she now stood.

But before they had reached her, just as her eyes were about to shut, to focus on Ron, to Apparate again urgently away from them, she saw the glint of starlight on the vial in one of the Death Eater's hands... and she knew without question that it was not empty this time. The bottle hissed as the cap was pulled back roughly, and she stood motionless as the billowing smoke from the bottle engulfed her, seeped into her, consumed her... and she was once again... lost. She fell to the ground with a thud. And the men standing over her stared down at their prize.

"Leave her," said one of them. "She'll be dead before morning."

"But..." cut across the second, his voice unsteady, unsure. "Mulciber will want her returned to him. He wants her tortured, disgraced..."

"There's nothing we can do now. I believe..." said the first Death Eater again, his grin obvious in the shift of his voice as he continued... "she will be tortured enough tonight. By dawn, she'll beg for death."

"And death she will have," said the third Death Eater in a scratchy voice. "We have others to attend to."

The three turned, their cloaks flapping out behind them as they departed in the same direction. And as they disappeared, the thick silver mist that surrounded Hermione where she remained crumpled on the grass lulled her to gentle slumber.


	2. Chapter 2

_**A/N: **Just in case anyone is confused, when the story switches from Monday to Tuesday near the end, that's just the time going from late Monday night to after midnight, so early Tuesday morning. Sorry for taking so long to update this story! I'll try to move faster on the next one : ) Enjoy!_

**Chapter 2  
**  
Ron was falling through the air, wind whipping his back and legs. The field beyond the edge of the cliff had slipped out of his line of vision the moment he had been pushed back and over the edge, and he found himself staring partially up into the night sky now, his eyes half focused on the rocky cliff face that seemed to grow out of the ground next to him as he rapidly descended towards the unknown. Desperately, blindly, he twisted his body as best he could in mid-air, closing his eyes and concentrating as hard as he could, chanting over and over the one place that came immediately to mind, the edge of the field where they had first set out, where he, Harry, Hermione and Ginny had first separated with the Aurors that they had arrived with, all of them searching for the Death Eaters who had escaped the night of the Final Battle.

He felt his body compressing, and he knew it had worked.

When his eyes opened again, he was standing in the middle of the field. He had aimed for the edge closest to the graveyard at the entrance where they had first separated from the Aurors, hoping that Hermione, Harry and Ginny would think to meet here too as long as they had not yet been captured. But all was very silent, very still, and just ahead, he could see the black iron gate around the edge of the graveyard, moonlight flooding the tall damp grass at the bottom of the fence and making it glow.

He raised his wand to chest height, scanning the dark distance for any sign of the Death Eaters, knowing that they were not far off, that less than half a mile behind him was the cliff where he had just been separated from Hermione, Ginny, and Harry. He wanted to run to them, to help them, but he was concerned about walking into a trap. He weighed his options, his mind racing. He could probably trace the edge of the field near the trees to his left, and he could catch them off guard, maybe take down a few of them without them even seeing him. Setting his jaw, clenching his wand tighter in his hand, he moved his feet one in front of the other until he was standing under the cover of the first two rows of trees, just beyond the edge of the field, covered by shadow and deep darkness beneath the canopy of branches overhead. And then he was running, his feet as light as possible on the ground, careful not to crunch too loudly on fallen branches.

But just as he was starting to think that he was almost there, he heard voices and he stopped dead, his eyes widening and scanning the field frantically. He couldn't tell what they were saying, but their voices were thick and deep. He strained his ears, hoping for a reply from Hermione, Harry or Ginny to confirm whether or not they were just beyond his sight. But all he heard were the low growls of the Death Eaters conversing with one another. He knew that just beyond where they must be standing was the cliff and the bit of the field where he had just been standing, mere minutes ago now.

But he couldn't risk it. He had to stay put, had to wait it out. He couldn't be seen. What good would he be to Hermione, Harry and Ginny if he was captured? He wouldn't be able to help them then... So he waited, as painful as it was, silently praying that he would hear or see some sign that would point him in the right direction.

But as he stood there listening, unsure how long he had been waiting, his eyes darting about, his breath coming in quick silent puffs, one of the Death Eaters finally spoke out louder than the rest...

"The Mudblood's in the dungeon."

Ron's eyes widened and his hand tightened automatically on his wand. Another Death Eater's voice raised gleefully in volume...

"Is she? Then she was captured!"

"Do you think they'll leave any of her for us? No, they'll torture her, let everyone else have their way with her, and they won't spare a thought for us."

"Then let's go!"

"We can't leave! Do you think they'll really let us have her if we go now and abandon our mission? We're supposed to bring back the other three..."

One of the Death Eaters spat furiously.

"Put on your mask, coward. I'm not missing this..."

A sudden, frantic rustling in the trees behind them...

"Stupefy!"

The blast was so strong that it knocked two of the three Death Eaters to the ground, flat on their backs. The third turned, his wand raised, and he immediately found himself face to face with a fiery red head and angry blue eyes.

"It's one of them!" the Death Eater managed to yell just as Ron's mouth opened again...

"Stupefy!"

The third Death Eater fell limply to the ground next to the others. But Ron heard the voices of several more approaching Death Eaters who must have heard their comrade's shout.

Wand still out, Ron turned in a circle, trying to figure out where they were. But then suddenly, out of nowhere, he heard a scream...

"Ron!"

It was her! She was alive! She was free! He opened his mouth to reply, but before any sound could come out, the Death Eaters had him surrounded, one clicking open a little vial in his outstretched arm. And before Ron could even think about what to do, he felt his body go limp, lazily allowing himself to fall slowly. His eyes fluttered shut and though he could still hear them around him for a moment, he could not reply, could not think. It was as if his brain had been turned to mush. And almost instantly, total darkness surrounded him as he fell completely unconscious to the ground...

* * *

"Where are they?!" Ginny cried, her face covered in dirt and her wand out as she ran next to Harry through the woods.

"I don't know," Harry muttered, his eyes darting left and right in the darkness as they ran blindly forward.

Harry had grabbed Ginny around the waist and Apparated randomly away as the Death Eaters approached them from where they had fallen after the first blast. But as soon as Harry and Ginny had figured out where Harry had taken them, they had rushed back to the spot where they had been separated from Ron and Hermione, only to find the cliff deserted, minus a few Death Eaters who were staking out the area. Harry had almost been caught sneaking up the right side of the woods, and had Apparated away again with Ginny, this time deeper into the woods, hoping to locate Ron and Hermione, praying that they had Apparated out of danger as well and were now doing the same thing, searching for Harry and Ginny... but so far, they had been unlucky.

"We've got to stop, Harry!" Ginny whispered loudly. "We're going in circles! We need to stay put and hope they find us..."

"What if they're doing the same thing?" Harry countered, still leading them quickly through the thick woods.

"Then we should go back to the graveyard and hope they think to meet up with us."

"What if they've been captured?"

"But how can we know unless we overhear one of the Death Eaters? We need help finding them, Harry."

Harry knew that Ginny was right, that it was stupid to blindly search for Ron and Hermione in the woods when they could be anywhere. He knew that the logical thing to do would be to try to find some of the Aurors and start a search party. But he couldn't stop his legs from moving forward, couldn't stop himself from searching. He was terrified that they had been captured or that they needed his help. If he could only get to them... if he could _know_...

"Harry, please," begged Ginny in a small voice as she pushed branch after branch out of the path they were making through the trees.

Harry finally slowed down, but did not stop completely. He was thinking. He had to come up with a plan, a really good one, and fast...

"Back at the castle," Ginny started as she sensed Harry giving in a bit to reason, "there are more of them, more Aurors who stayed back to help there. We can Apparate just outside the grounds and tell them what happened. It won't take more than a few minutes to get back and alert them. We could be back searching in ten minutes if we go n-"

"Okay," Harry interrupted, halting in his tracks completely. He nodded. "You're right." He turned to face Ginny, his wand still clutched tightly in his hand. "But we have to go right now."

Ginny nodded, and before Harry could say another word, she grabbed him around the middle and turned on the spot, pulling him with her with a pop.

They Disapparated just outside the castle grounds and both instantly set off at a run towards the castle. Harry felt nauseous from Apparating and running so quickly, but he had done it many times before, and he was used to shaking off the feeling and pressing on through it.

When they reached the castle, they burst through the front doors wordlessly and came face to face with two guards who were standing watch in the entryway.

"We need to go back!" Harry panted. "We need anyone who can to come with us. Two of us got separated, lost. We have to go back for them, to search for them."

One of the guards nodded as the other turned and headed towards the Great Hall without a word.

Harry and Ginny remained in the entryway panting, their wands still out, but within seconds, three more Aurors had emerged from the Great Hall, their robes sweeping behind them as they turned to face Harry and Ginny.

"What happened?" asked the tallest.

"We were attacked," Harry began. "Ron and Hermione got separated from us..." Harry glanced at Ginny, not sure how to say the next part. He hadn't seen what she'd seen...

"I saw Ron go over the edge of a cliff," Ginny admitted, her eyes wide, but her voice steady. "I'm pretty sure Hermione didn't go over with him, which means they were separated from each other too. But we searched below the cliff edge and didn't see any sign of Ron..."

"How many Death Eaters?" asked one of the Aurors.

"We're not sure," Harry said. "At least six or seven. And we heard voices in the woods from both sides of the field. Could be three or four more on each side standing guard."

"They didn't think you'd be able to get away by simply Apparating as you must have?" asked the tallest Auror skeptically.

"That's why I'm worried Ron and Hermione have been captured," Harry continued. "The Death Eaters may have thought we wouldn't leave them, may have been counting on that, hoping to force us into a trap."

"Okay," said the Auror, nodding. He glanced sideways at the other two next to him. "Round up three more and we'll head back out. We need to lower the odds against us."

The other two Aurors went back into the Great Hall quickly.

"Thank you," said Harry, straightening up and finally beginning to catch his breath.

"We'll find them," said the Auror reassuringly. Harry nodded, but he knew he wouldn't feel better until they were back in the woods searching again...

* * *

**Tuesday.**

Hermione opened her eyes, blinking rapidly as she stared up into the misty sky. Or was that the sky at all?

She pushed her elbows into the wet ground, attempting to sit up, but as she moved her head off the ground, the mist seemed to rise, and she realized at once that it was not in the sky high above, but just over her head. In fact, it seemed to be rising away from her as she sat... _Odd_, she thought.

She shook her head, trying to clear it, but almost immediately realized she didn't have her wand in her hand anymore... Trying not to panic, she felt around on the cold earth for her wand, patting her pockets too. And then, squinting, she thought she could see something a few feet from the edge of the woods. She crawled under the mist to the spot, reaching out...

"Yes," she whispered as her hand wrapped around the familiar wood... but as she stood, the mist rising and disintegrating at the same time, she felt a groove on the side of the wand that was somehow unfamiliar. She rubbed her hand over it, feeling the smooth familiar wood, but... somehow, something didn't seem right.

She shook her head again, still feeling a little fuzzy. She tried to remember what had happened, and as she focused, she remembered everything... the dungeon, Apparating away, knowing that Ron was near her...

"Ron..." And suddenly, as if everything had become clear, her determination and logic returned to her and she began to scan the area, the mist now completely gone. "Ron..." she said again, still keeping her voice relatively low. She didn't want them to find her again, and she knew that they must be nearby. She couldn't have been unconscious for long...

But that was when it hit her. Why was she even still alive? Why had they not taken her back to the dungeon? It didn't make a lot of sense, but she couldn't take the time to question it now. She had to find Ron... she knew he was close. She just knew it...

So she set off quickly through the field, her heart pounding rapidly in her chest. Every few steps, she called his name lightly, hoping that he could hear her, that he could find his way to her, because all she wanted was to know he was alright, to see him again.

She could see his eyes in her mind, his hair, his fingers stretching towards hers. And she was going to find him. She just was. She was going to be alright…

"Ron..." she cried softly again, her eyes filling with tears now. She pushed her hair from her forehead and swallowed the lump that had begun to form in her throat.

She was going to see him again...


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3  
**  
Hermione was thinking. Her wand was raised... But then she shouldn't have a wand. It was as if things were slowly becoming clear to her, but just as she would come close to figuring something out, to putting it all together, she would feel her mind going fuzzy again.

But she knew one thing for sure. She should not have her wand.

Her wand had been taken from her by the Death Eaters before she had even been dragged into the dungeon from the edge of the cliff. She had Apparated away from them later without a wand. She had fallen on the ground, unconscious in the field... without a wand. Why would they return her wand to her? How on earth could her wand have ended up on the ground there near her if they had _not _returned it to her? It made no sense. None at all...

But she pressed on, only one thing on her mind now. She had to find Ron, Harry and Ginny. She had to be sure they were alright.

As she moved forward through the dark, cold field, she became slowly more and more aware of how exposed she was. She began to move to the edge, hoping to stay along the tree line in case any Death Eaters were still nearby... And almost as soon as she had moved over to the side, she heard their low voices just beyond the trees and she stopped moving, her breath hitching in her throat.

"Now that we have him," said one of them in a voice that was louder than she would have expected considering they seemed to want to conceal themselves, "we can end it."

"Why aren't we still looking for the other three?" asked another Death Eater in a very similar voice. It was almost like they wanted her to hear them... But no...

"Because his blood is enough. His family, they're all traitors. And we need to keep moving."

Hermione felt her throat beginning to close up as she realized they were almost definitely referring to Ron... The same voice continued...

"Come on, let's get back before the sun starts to come up..."

And then they were moving. Hermione held her wand high in her shaking hand and carefully moved into the woods to follow them, sure now that they had Ron, and that the intended to hurt him as they had tried to hurt her... She wasn't going to let that happen. No matter what...

* * *

How long had she been following them from a distance? How much further until they reached their destination? And why was it so hard to tell where she was or how much time was passing?

She pressed on through the trees, still able to hear the Death Eaters muffled voices in the distance as they continued onward.

And then their voices were getting louder, louder... and she realized that they had stopped... and she was still walking.

She halted and tried to squint through the trees to see them. Luckily, a strip of moonlight weaved its way through the branches above, falling over the very small clearing where they had obviously stopped, and Hermione could see them descending into something... she squinted harder. What was it?

The last one lowered himself into the ground and with a click, closed some sort of door shut behind him. Hermione waited for a few more seconds to be sure all was silent, then she stepped carefully out into the clearing and cautiously approached the spot where she had seen them disappear.

A trapdoor, hidden in what appeared to be a tree stump.

She stared down at it, wondering what she should do, contemplating the logic of descending into an unknown place after several Death Eaters on her own to rescue Ron, assuming he really was down here in the first place...

She looked over her shoulder, ready to Apparate back at this point to ask for help, to bring several Aurors back with her...

But then she heard voices, deep harsh voices, more Death Eaters fast approaching. She concentrated hard and turned on the spot. But nothing happened. She remained in the same spot in the clearing. She tried again, more desperately this time. Still nothing. For some reason, she could not Apparate from here. They must have blocked this area, or perhaps something below her... The voices in the woods were getting louder by the second.

She gasped and glanced at the trapdoor, then back up at the dark woods in front of her... and knew she had no choice.

With a yank and a creak, she opened the door to reveal a long, nearly pitch black iron ladder that continued on as far as she could see through a damp tunnel. She threw her legs over the edge and began to climb until her head was under. With a pull and a duck, she closed the door behind her and began to climb further down, as fast as she could, listening carefully for the Death Eaters who had descended before her, terrified of bumping into one of them on the way down...

Finally, she felt her feet land on something more solid and she blinked, trying to adjust to the darkness around her.

"Lumos," she whispered, and her wand tip lit up, though it seemed a bit reluctant to obey her commands...

She moved slowly through what she could now see was a long corridor made of stone. Far along, could thought she could make out a row of torches on each side, lining the walls. The corridor eventually turned towards the right, opening every once and a while into a slightly larger area.

She was surprised that she neither heard nor saw a single sign of the Death Eaters who had descended before her. It was odd, as if they had simply disappeared...

And that was when she thought to try it again, to attempt to Apparate out and go for help. She turned. Nothing. A few more steps. Turn. Nothing.

After another few minutes of slow walking through the dark hallway, Hermione arrived at a crossroads. One hall joined up with the one she was currently walking down. This new corridor moved to her left and slightly down. At the end of it she could see an open door, beyond which appeared to be a room lined with several more torches. In front of her, if she kept moving, was what appeared to be a closed wooden door. She reasoned that it was likely that the Death Eaters were behind that door as she could see a very faint light underneath the bottom of the door in a strip. So she chose the path to her left that led to the open door, feeling that all in all, it would be the safer choice.

So she walked quickly down the hallway towards the opening. As soon as she stepped into the doorway, she realized just how large the room beyond really was. Other than a few scattered flickering torches that cast an orange glow over the wall and bit of ground close to them, it was quite dark and hard to make anything out beyond the center of the room.

She tried once again to Apparate, but it was no use.

So she moved further into the room, her eyes scanning the floor for anything... for any signs of-

"Ron!" Hermione sobbed as she spotted the top of a ginger head, lying motionless on the stone twenty feet ahead of her. She rushed to him, covering her mouth with her hand and dropping to the stone floor, her wand clattering to the floor next to her. "Ron!" she sobbed again as she gently reached out to his still body and shook his shoulder. He was so cold, so pale, his lips almost blue. And she could even make out the little purple veins inside his ghost white eyelids now that she was so close to him. He looked... dead.

"RON!" she cried, trying to keep her cracking voice down so no one would hear her. They could be on their way now, for all she knew.

She fumbled for her wand next to her and pointed it at his chest.

"Enervate!"

She could almost feel the power of her spell as it hit him, but he did not move.

"ENERVATE!!"

Nothing.

"Ron, please!" She lowered her body over his and shook him roughly about the shoulders, being careful not to bump his head against the stone floor. "Please..." Nothing.

Frantically, she pulled him up, heaving slightly as she moved to sit at his head, pulling his head and neck up into her lap and pushing against his shoulder blades so he was practically sitting against her, his head limp on her chest. Tears ran freely down her face now as her eyes scanned his body for any signs of injury. Her hand went automatically to his elbow, bending his arm up and holding his wrist in her left hand while she moved the fingers of her right hand to his vein, feeling for a pulse. She went still, completely silent, her heart beating madly and her eyes wider than ever, her face completely soaked in her tears...

And then she felt it. It seemed distant and tired, but it was there. He had a pulse. Instantly, she let out a heavy sob of relief, now clutching his freezing hand in her own.

She cupped his cheek in her hand, allowing her fingers to move under his nose to feel for his breath. It was also very slow and shallow, but she felt it finally against her fingertips. She nodded, trying to be brave, to be strong. She had to get him out of here, had to get them both out of here. Now.

And then she heard footsteps. Loud, pounding footsteps that echoed off the stone walls. Even the torches that lined the room and hallway beyond seemed to flicker with anticipation...

Desperately, she moved her hand from his face to her wand and aimed it at his chest as she simultaneously scooted back, lowering his head to the floor again. On her knees now at his head, she blinked once...

"Locomotor," she whispered with a flick of her wand. But she was too late...

Ron's body lifted a few feet off the ground just as three large Death Eaters entered the room, their dark heavy cloaks blocking out the light from the torches in the hallway behind them. Hermione had no time to react. If she tried to attack, she'd have to drop Ron.

"Lower your wand," growled the Death Eater closest to her.

She did as she was told, Ron's body following the path of her wand until it hit the floor. She broke the spell and turned her wand down, her mind working wildly, attempting to come up with an escape plan...

"He'll be dead in a few minutes. You can't save him now," said the same tall Death Eater.

She tried not make a sound, tried not to cry out at the words he was speaking. It wasn't true, she tried to tell herself. He was going to be fine. They were going to get out of here and...

A fourth Death Eater emerged from the hallway and moved through the other three. They freely allowed him to move forward, like he was their leader... and it soon became obvious that he was.

"Mudblood," he spat as he approached her. "What do you fear most now?"

Hermione was so surprised by the question that she fumbled to figure out why he was asking her and did not speak.

"Your own death...?"

Hermione's eyes flicked down to Ron's body for a fraction of a second, but the Death Eater next to her caught it and smiled, his lips curling up to the point where his mask hung down over his eyes to his cheeks.

"Or perhaps... his?"

Hermione swallowed hard and clenched her wand in her hand, though it was still lowered.

"There are Aurors outside you know, they came in with me and they'll be here any second."

He nodded, though she knew he didn't believe her.

"Alright," he said, glancing back at the other Death Eaters behind him with a grin. "So we haven't got long to work this out, have we..."

Hermione eyes moved about the room, searching for a way out while the Death Eater was distracted, but then he was staring down at her again through his mask and she tried to look straight back at him, hoping that he wouldn't be able to tell what she was thinking...

"Let me explain a few things to you, Mudblood," the Death Eater continued as he started to walk around Hermione and Ron, moving in a circle as he spoke. "We need his blood. You don't need to know why. We have given him a potion and he's been cursed. He will not wake unless we reverse it. But he's almost gone, see?"

Hermione was listening, but didn't want to hear what he was saying. She could see how close Ron was to death, how his body was betraying him moment by moment. And now, here in this room, no planning or brilliance could save them. She was trapped. More and more footsteps echoed down the hallway. She knew no one was coming for them. No one knew she was here. She had followed the Death Eaters down into this place through thick woods, and it would be impossible to find it if you didn't know where to look. She remembered back in her early years at school when she had been confronted with a Boggart for the first time... she remembered how she had been so terrified of failing, of being lost and not knowing the right answer. And as she had gotten older, her fear had changed slightly... it wasn't that she was afraid of being wrong, no. It was realizing that no matter how smart she was, no matter how organized and logically and reasonable and brilliant, there could always come a time when nothing she could do, nothing she had learned or had been told, could save them... could save _Ron_. And now she knew that it had finally come true...

"He's fading away," continued the Death Eater who was stilled circling her as he spoke, "and in a few minutes, there will be nothing we can do for him. We will be draining his blood once he's-"

"I'll do anything," Hermione sobbed before she could stop herself.

The Death Eater stopped walking and stared at her, his lips curling up again.

"What did you say?" he asked. Hermione knew he had heard her, that he was forcing her to repeat it so he could take pleasure in her shame...

"I'll do anything you want if you let him go," Hermione said. His face cracked into the widest grin she had seen on him yet.

"That's exactly what we hoped you'd say, what we wanted to propose."

He moved to stand in front of the large group of Death Eaters who now stood between Hermione and the only exit.

"What can I do?" Hermione asked, tears flowing from her eyes and dropping heavily onto the floor as they rolled off her cheeks.

"Ah," said the Death Eater, nodding, "you can take his place."

Hermione felt as if she was being crushed, knocked out. She had no doubt in her mind. If that's what it would take for him to live, she would do it. There was no question. But realizing that her own death was upon her... she had never felt so lost and hopeless before. But the moment her eyes landed on Ron's still face below her on the ground, she felt a wave of calm wash over, knowing she was doing the right thing if he would live. And she felt more confident all of a sudden, more at peace...

"I'll do it," she said in a steady voice.

"Very good," said the Death Eater as he raised his wand. "Move aside and I'll wake him. We'll prepare the potion for you. You'll have five minutes to speak with him before we'll be ready to administer it. That will be all."

Hermione nodded, her head pounding.

And then a flash of light was streaming from the Death Eater's wand, hitting Ron in the chest and spreading like a spiderweb over his body before disintegrating completely. There was a pause. And then his eyelids were fluttering.

"Ron!" Hermione shouted, dropping to the floor again beside him, tucking her wand into her pocket with a shaking hand. His eyelids cracked open and his eyes searched for hers.

"Hermione?" he croaked.

"Yes! It's me," she said, relief once again flooding through her before she was returned harshly to reality when she heard the Death Eaters, at least a dozen of them now, moving back outside the room and bolting the door to the hallway behind her shut. But Ron didn't seem to have heard. He blinked rapidly for a moment, trying to focus as he slowly became fully conscious.

"I'm sorry," Ron whispered, and Hermione furrowed her eyebrows slightly at him, confused.

"What for?" she asked through an unexpected sob.

"Getting us into this. You're rescuing me, aren't you?" he asked with a hint of a smile.

"Yes, I am," Hermione said, laughter finding its way into her words even now... She had never been happier to see him, to look into his eyes, to feel his hand as he reached for hers.

"I feel so bloody weak," he admitted as he tried to sit up. But Hermione put her hand on his shoulder to still him.

"Shh, don't try to move yet," she said, trying to smile, but feeling her heart pounding inside her chest as seconds ticked by, seconds of the last five minutes she would ever have to be with him...

"Wait, Hermione!" Ron suddenly heard the Death Eaters outside the bolted door. "What the hell?!"

"Ron!" she replied quickly, squeezing his hand. "It's okay. Don't mind them."

"What?" Ron looked thoroughly confused. "What are you on about?"

"I..." Hermione racked her brain to come up with a believable lie. She was never especially good at lying, but she knew she had to be now. She couldn't allow him to find out what she was doing. She knew he would try to stop her. "I-I've bolted it shut. They can't get through. And they... they can't hear us either." She tried to smile again, but her lips twitched and she shivered.

"Oh," Ron said, but his eyes were darting from one of hers to the other, and she knew he was searching her, reading her to determine what was really going on... "Are you okay?" he asked, his voice soft and gentle.

"I'm fine," Hermione said, shaking her head. "You're the one who's been stunned and now probably has frostbite. Ron, your hand is freezing!"

"Sorry," Ron said, blushing slightly as he started to move his hand out of hers, but she squeezed tightly and shook her head again.

"Don't," she said, trying to smile again.

They sat in silence for a very short moment, their eyes locked, before Ron tried to sit up again.

"We have to get out of here," he said. "Don't know how long that will hold, do we?" He moved his head in the direction of the bolted hallway door.

"I don't think you should walk yet," Hermione said, trying to force him to stay put.

"Don't have a choice, really," he said, still trying to sit all the way up. But suddenly, he stopped, blinking rapidly again. Hermione looked down at him, very worried... "M'ok. Just got dizzy," he said. "Maybe just another minute..."

"Ron," Hermione cut in suddenly, her stomach flipping over as she began to panic, remembering just how little time she had left with him. "I..."

He adjusted himself on the floor, his right elbow pressing into the stone as he studied her, waiting for her to go on.

"Here," she said, changing her own subject for a moment. "Lie back down for a minute until you wake all the way up. Then we'll go."

Ron did as he was told, but seemed reluctant.

"I feel like we need to move right now," he said as he allowed his head to fall back to the floor.

"No, no, it's fine. That will hold for a long time, Ron."

"How are we getting out of here anyway?"

"We can Apparate," Hermione lied, "but I need you to be more alert so neither of us gets splinched."

Ron nodded.

"So you were about to say something, I think?" he asked, squeezing her hand involuntarily. She smiled and nodded slightly.

Hermione blinked back a wave of tears, and Ron seemed to just now notice that she had obviously been crying quite a lot before, her eyes very red and many tear tracks still clear on her face.

"Hermione," he said softly as he moved his free hand towards her face. "What happened?"

She glanced at his hand before catching on and realizing that he was referring to her current state and she sighed.

"I couldn't wake you right away when I found you... I thought... I thought..." but she couldn't continue.

"It's okay," Ron said reassuringly. "I'm fine. I'm really sorry I worried you..." and he looked as sorry as he sounded. Hermione shook her head.

"It's alright..."

They smiled at each other for a moment before she felt another wave of panic wash over her at the impending end of their time together...

"Ron, I need to tell you..." she started, adjusting herself on the ground so she was still sitting, but was leaning over him slightly, their faces a bit closer together.

She watched as he swallowed and wondered if he knew what she was about to say. But then again, why would she logically pick a time like this to tell him anyway? Only _she _knew why it was so important that she get this out, that she tell him everything now before it was too late...

"Ron..." and she couldn't hold back her sobs as she finished, "I love you..."

His eyes widened slightly and his lips curled as he let out a shaky breath.

"Now?" he said through a nervous chuckle, looking happier than she could ever remember seeing him.

"Always," she added, though she knew what he meant, that he was really questioning her timing in telling him this, the most important thing he had ever been told in his life...

"Bloody hell, Hermione," he sighed. "I love you too."

She let out a laugh mixed with a cry as she ducked her head, her cheeks flushed. But when her eyes met his again, she saw how watery his eyes had become and it nearly made her heart stop.

"C'mere," he instructed, tugging slightly on her hand to pull her down towards him. She lowered her head at the same moment that he raised his, and then their lips met for the second time...

When they parted, they both laughed, their noses still touching.

But behind them, the noise of the Death Eaters in the hallway increased and Ron suddenly seemed to snap out of his daze. Hermione sat back up and he moved with her.

"We've gotta get out of here," Ron said, now more determined than ever. But there was a loud click and a rough sound behind them, and Ron's eyes widened. "Hermione!" he shouted as the door creaked, sliding across the stone as it opened inward to reveal a dozen Death Eaters. And then Ron was on his feet trying to block Hermione from them, but he had no wand to protect himself or Hermione, and in an instant, he was thrown back onto the stone. "Hermione!" he shouted from his place on the floor now, the wind clearly knocked out of his lungs...

"We're ready," said the tallest of the Death Eaters as he stared down at Hermione. And she nodded. Ron gasped in shock.

"What are you doing?!" he shouted, pushing up onto his elbows again. Her shoulders shook, but she did not turn back to look at him again. "Hermione! What's going on?!" Ron demanded as he stood again just behind her. He reached out and turned her towards him as the Death Eater closest to them approached slowly with a vial of green liquid. Hermione's face was completely covered in tears again. She gasped for air as she finally met Ron's eyes.

"I'm... s-so... so... s-sorry."

"What are you sorry for? What's happening?! You said we could Apparate out of here!" Ron shouted frantically, his eyes darting between Hermione and the Death Eater just over Hermione's shoulder now.

"I... I lied to you. S-so sorry, Ron... I..."

"What do you mean?! What did you do?!"

Ron was thrust back onto the ground by the force of another spell from one of the Death Eaters. And when he raised his head and pushed up again, the little vial of liquid was being pressed to Hermione's lips.

"NO!!" Ron screamed.

And just as the last drop of the liquid passed between Hermione's lips, she watched, horror-struck and unable to move, as the Death Eater in front of her nodded towards the Death Eater closest to Ron.

"Avada Kedavra!" shouted the Death Eater in front of Ron. The green light from his wand hit Ron firmly across the chest, and Ron crumpled to the floor, his eyes flickering to Hermione's as his life ended.

"NO!!" Hermione screamed, echoing Ron's last cry. But as she tried to move towards his limp form, her legs failed her and she fell to the floor, her vision blurred and the room seeming to spin above her. She was surrounded moments later by total darkness.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

Ron flinched, then opened his eyes, bits of grass and fallen tree branches scratching his face where it was pressed against the ground. It was so dark where he was under the trees that he could hardly see anything. It was disorienting and confusing, but he slowly sat up, trying to adjust his eyes to the dim light from the stars that shone in the sky above, just barely out of his sight, but bright enough here to cast a minute glow on the top most branches overhead.

A random series of questions raced through his head as he began to remember where he was and why, who had just been there with him, though he had no real idea how long he had been lying here on the forest floor. Whatever he had been given, that mist he remembered circling around him, was still slightly present. It had knocked him out the moment he had inhaled; so, standing carefully, he held his breath. It was strange. He didn't seem to be affected by it now. Before, the slightest breath of the cloudy mist had completely knocked him unconscious. But now...

He shook his head, still confused, but nervous too, now wanting to get away from this area as quickly as possible and find Hermione, remembering all at once that he had heard her voice calling to him before he had fallen to the ground.

He reached into his back pocket and withdrew his wand. For some reason, he knew it would be there. But now that he considered it, he wondered how it had gotten there in the first place. It made no sense. He had been holding it in his hand, pointing it at the approaching Death Eaters... and then, blackness as he fell to the ground. So why was his wand neatly tucked into his back pocket?

Trying hard not to dwell on it, he pushed forward through the trees towards the open field ahead, hoping to see some sign of Hermione. As he finally emerged from the darkness of the forest, his eyes adjusted to the bright moonlight that cast a glow over the field ahead of him.

"Hermione?" he asked softly, a bit afraid of making too much noise, but knowing that he had to make her hear him. He swore under his breath as his eyes scanned the field, no sign of Hermione at all anywhere he looked. Desperately, feeling out of options and overwhelmed, he knew what he had to do. He closed his eyes, turned on the spot, and with a pop, Disapparated blindly. He had done it before, and it had saved his life. Perhaps now, with his mind focused on Hermione, he would be led to her. He knew it was mental, thinking that he could bend the rules of Apparition tonight and end up by her side no matter where she was, but he had no other options, nothing that came to mind.

When he opened his eyes again, he felt like he hadn't moved at all. He was still standing in the middle of the field. But it was a vast area, and he was certain that he had traveled far. Something about the way the trees met along the edge seemed very different here.

"Hermione?" he whispered again into the darkness.

An eerie silence filled his ears as he moved cautiously through the field, overly aware of the fact that he was very exposed to anyone who might be passing by... After a few brief moments, he angled his walk towards the forest edge, longing for the cover of the trees. He ducked further into the woods, far enough to be covered in shadow, but not deep enough to lose sight of the field to his right.

"Hermione?" he tried again, his voice more desperate. "Lumos," he added quickly, and his wand tip lit. He didn't feel very lucky, didn't think it had worked. It had been a long shot, a last resort, to try and Apparate to her.

But just then, out of nowhere, like a miracle, he saw her. She was nearly a hundred feet ahead of him and he wasn't even sure that it made sense for him to be able to see anything that far ahead in the darkness.

"Hermione!" Ron called out as he saw her running away from him. She stopped dead in her tracks and turned to face him, but her expression was one of utter horror and he was taken aback by it, confused and terrified...

"Ron, no!" Hermione hissed, her voice barely audible from her distance away from him still. But he continued towards her, jogging with his wand still held out in front of him, the wand tip lighting his path and causing his face and chest to glow as he approached her. But she shook her head violently, motioning for him to step out of the way.

"What's-" he started once he had reached the bit of the forest trail where she stood, but in an instant, she had lunged towards him and toppled them both to the ground. And it was only when he felt the wind knocked out of him from the force of the fall that he realized why she had shoved him down... beams of red light cracked over their heads, only missing them by a few inches.

"Get out of here!" Hermione bellowed, shoving him roughly away as she crawled off of him.

"Hermio-"

A blast of red light hit Hermione in the back and she crashed face first into the ground. Ron ducked at the sound, but when he realized that the blast had hit Hermione, he reached out for her frantically.

"Hermione!"

"Move away from her or we'll kill you both," demanded a dark voice from very close by. Ron jumped, startled by the obvious proximity of the Death Eater. As Ron removed his hand from Hermione, he could feel hot breath on his cheek. His eyes darted around, not daring to look at the Death Eater directly.

"Who's there?" called another deep voice, a second Death Eater.

"We've got two of them," said the man to Ron's immediate left.

"Two?" came the second voice again, though closer this time.

"This scum came after the Mudblood," said the first Death Eater. Ron felt his blood boil with rage at the Death Eater's use of the term he loathed. He wanted to retort, to punch the man to his left square in the face. He bit his tongue and held his breath, knowing that it would do him no good to get knocked out again when Hermione needed him.

Ron's eyes flicked down to her still body on the ground in front of him. He needed to see her breathing, to know she was going to be okay, but he couldn't see her face. It was still pressed awkwardly against the dirt and twig covered ground.

"Get rid of him!" shouted the second Death Eater, now almost as close to Ron as the first. Ron jumped slightly at the sudden volume of his voice.

"Why don't we just kill him?" retorted the first Death Eater, and although Ron certainly didn't want them to do anything of the sort, he couldn't quite understand why that plan would not be the one they'd ultimately go through with. But, as Ron sat on his knees, facing Hermione, two terrifying voices echoing in his ears as they argued about whether or not they should take Ron back to the dungeon instead, he saw an opportunity. _Grab Hermione, Apparate away. Grab Hermione NOW._

But as he worked up the courage to lunge for her, he felt a rough hand rip at his robes, yanking him forcefully to his feet.

"I want to see your blood cover the ground," said the first Death Eater from behind Ron, his mouth so close to Ron's ear, "but we have a mission. If you get in the way, we'll kill you. We won't hesitate. Do you understand?"

Ron swallowed, considering his options. He had no idea what this mission was, but as long as it allowed him to get away, he figured he had to accept it. He nodded finally. Instantly, the Death Eater who was holding tight to Ron's robes, pulled him back further and roughly shoved him to his right and out of the way. Ron tripped, almost falling to the ground, but managed to catch himself just in time.

And as he looked up at the men before him in their pure black hooded robes, he saw what they were doing and frantically aimed his wand at them. One of them had moved around Hermione's limp body and was stooping down towards her as if to grab her. The other was watching Ron carefully, clearly ready to fight if necessary.

"Get away from her!" Ron shouted, ready to curse them. But the Death Eater closest to him raised his own wand a bit higher so Ron could see where it had been partially concealed under the sleeve of his robe. And then suddenly, nearly a dozen more hooded figures took a step into the moonlight, surrounding them, all with wands raised. Ron felt the blood drain from his face.

"Ah," said the Death Eater who was stooped low over Hermione. "But see this is our mission. And you're about to get in our way."

"What the hell are you saying?!" Ron bellowed. "What's she got to do with-"

"We need her blood. She's coming back with us."

"Like hell she is!" Ron shouted, his voice cracking with intensity.

"What do you plan on doing about it?" said the Death Eater who stood closer to Ron, facing him with his own wand raised.

"Here's how it's going to go," explained the Death Eater closest to Hermione. He stood and began to walk slowly towards Ron. Ron noticed, with a skipped heartbeat, that Hermione had begun to stir. "Either she, or you, or both of you will be dying tonight. You get to make the choice, see? You leave us alone, we'll let you live. I thought I was clear before."

Ron's brain struggled to catch up with what the Death Eater had just said. It sounded like...

"I can take her place?" Ron asked in a small, somewhat confused voice.

"Oh yes," said the Death Eater as he moved past his companion and stepped even closer to Ron.

"Why are you doing this?" Ron asked, his voice still small.

"Why?!" spat the Death Eater, annoyed and angry. "We're wasting time here with him," he added to the Death Eater behind him. "Take her and let's go-"

"NO!" Ron shouted, stepping forward, panting slightly, his heart racing. He could feel a cold chill suddenly, though nothing had changed externally. It was like he could sense the blood being drained from his body already, could feel his life leaving him to save her... His eyes flicked over to her as she finally opened her eyes, turning her head to look over at them. When she caught sight of all the Death Eaters surrounding them and Ron's position in the middle of them, she gasped slightly, her eyes wide. Ron met her eyes for a fraction of a second before the Death Eater in front of him spoke...

"Make up your mind or we'll kill you both."

"Leave her alone. Take me," Ron said firmly.

"Ron!" screamed Hermione, her expression horror-struck. Ron didn't look at her. His eyes were beginning to prickle. In a moment, he'd be taken away from her. He'd never see her again...

"I'm sorry," Ron cried softly, still unable to look at Hermione. He felt his wand being ripped out of his hand, but he didn't struggle against it. They were too far out numbered. If he struggled, he was sure they would kill Hermione too.

But then he could tell Hermione was moving, could sense it. She had pushed herself off the ground and was standing behind the two Death Eaters in the center of the circle.

"Hermione," Ron begged as he finally looked at her. Tears were running quickly down her face, glistening in the moonlight. But her expression was a strange mix of desperation and determination.

"Let's go," growled the Death Eater closest to Ron. He grabbed Ron's arms and pinned them behind his back, turning him awkwardly as he moved closer to his companion. Hermione locked eyes with Ron as he was turned by the Death Eater to face her. The Death Eaters remained oblivious to what was happening as Hermione suddenly ran full out towards Ron. His eyes widened, and as the Death Eater holding him turned to Disapparate, he felt Hermione's arms wrap and tighten around his torso. They were sucked together out of the woods and into nothingness.

When Ron felt his feet on solid ground again, his terrified eyes looked down at Hermione where she was still gripping his body tightly. Almost immediately, he felt something warm and wet soaking into the leg of his trousers.

Hermione let him go weakly, her tear-stained face very pale. Ron looked down, confused, but his eyes quickly landed on fresh crimson blood. The knees of Hermione's jeans were soaked through.

"Hermione!" Ron shouted, his voice breaking as he stared in horror at her legs. She suddenly let out a suppressed moan of agony as she tried to keep her balance. But she was falling.

Ron flailed and wrenched his arms almost free of the Death Eater's grip, his need to get to Hermione taking over all logic. But the Death Eater let him go after a moment's struggle, clearly more interested in the fact that Hermione had ended up here in the dungeon with them. The Death Eater moved towards Hermione at the same moment that Ron did. But Ron got there first, skidding on the ground and grabbing her around the waist as she fell, supporting her on the way down to the cold stone floor.

As Ron held her shaking body, she squeezed her eyes shut from pain.

"Why did you do it?!" Ron sobbed, holding her close to his body. But he could feel the Death Eater approaching, his shadow covering them.

"I'm s-sorry," Hermione cried.

"You're going to be fine..." Ron reassured her. He looked down at her knees. He couldn't tell how bad the injury was, but he felt rather confident that if she was taken immediately to St. Mungo's, they'd be able to heal her. He had heard plenty of stories of splinching and full recovery in his lifetime, some much more grotesque and serious than Hermione's now, from what he could tell...

"Get out of the way," the Death Eater said roughly, pulling Ron off of Hermione.

"No!" Ron shouted, trying to maintain his grip on her. But many others were surrounding them again and he was forcefully pulled away from her, tears flowing freely down his face now. "Don't hurt her!" he begged desperately as several of the Death Eaters moved over her. "Listen to me!" he shouted as they stooped much too close to Hermione for his comfort. "Stop! Listen!" he begged as he struggled to get free of the Death Eaters that were restraining him. "I'll do anything you want!" he begged through a heavy sob.

"Bring him here!" called the Death Eater who had first captured Ron. The Death Eater was holding something in his hand that looked like a glowing potion vial. "You drink this down and we'll let her go."

Ron hardly waited for the Death Eater to finish his sentence. He snatched the vial out of the Death Eater's hand, not stopping for a moment to consider what he was drinking, and downed the contents in one, shoving the empty vial roughly back into the Death Eater's gloved hand.

"Ron!" he heard Hermione crying behind him. He whipped around to look down at her, but as he did so, he felt his body weakening and his head spinning.

"Good," hissed the Death Eater who was holding his arms. "Say goodbye to your filthy little friend. You'll be dead in a moment."

Ron knew he wasn't lying. He felt his grip on life slacken as the words were spoken. His eyes became unfocused and he struggled to remain conscious long enough to look into Hermione's eyes one last time. He blinked rapidly, his legs turning quickly to jelly. He felt his knees hit the stone floor, felt the arms around him release him as he caught Hermione's eyes where she was still lying helplessly on the floor a few feet away from him. He tried to move towards her, but he couldn't do it, no matter how hard he tried.

"Hermione," he whispered, his throat very dry all of a sudden. "I..."

But his lips would no longer move. He couldn't see her anymore; his eyes shut without his knowledge. He could hear her crying, sobbing his name. He felt himself falling as if down a long, dark tunnel.

"Avada Kedavra!" shouted a Death Eater close by. Hermione's voice silenced. He could no longer hear her. His hands slid across the stone towards where he knew she was...

And just before he completely lost consciousness, his fingertips brushed against her shoulder and he forced open his heavy eyes again. A Death Eater stood over her, his wand still pointed at her lifeless body from the curse he had just spoken, the curse that had ended her life.

Ron choked as comprehension dawned. And then he was gone.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

Hermione opened her eyes and gasped. She was floating... _falling_. She hit the ground roughly before she had time to consider why she was falling or how far up she had fallen from... The wind was knocked out of her as her back slammed into the hard ground. Choking, her chest constricted tightly, she raised one hand to her rib cage, trying desperately to suck in breath. And finally, gasping, she breathed in deeply. The moment she realized she could breathe again, she became very aware of the pounding pain in her upper back where she had hit the ground.

Looking up, she tried to reason with herself. Where had she fallen from? Why? What had happened?

And then it hit her. She looked around suddenly, somewhat frantically... _Ron_. Why was it so hard for her to remember what had happened to him, to them both? It didn't make sense, she knew that. But she wasn't sure why. She felt sure he should be dead, that she'd tried to stop it, to save him, and that something had gone horribly wrong…

And then suddenly, out of the dead silence, she heard a heavy pounding moving closer with each second, like thunder, but it seemed to vibrate the earth beneath her. _Footsteps_...

She pushed herself up and scrambled to her feet, whipping around to stare, horrified, through the trees behind her. Death Eaters. So many of them. And they were headed straight for her.

She began to run instinctively, panting and trying to feel her pockets for her wand as she moved her legs one in front of the other, practically flying over the muddy ground. But a distant echo sounded out, and at first, she wasn't sure what she was hearing. It was muffled beneath the sound of her own breathing and the shouts of the Death Eaters pursuing her closely as she continued to run. But after the second time she heard it, she knew what it was, _who _it was, and she felt a sudden surge of excitement as her eyes flicked over the landscape to her left, searching for _him_...

"..._Hermione_..."

She laughed somewhat hysterically as recognition dawned. He was close... She tripped slightly, her distraction taking hold of her senses. She needed to get to him. She felt strangely unafraid all of a sudden, and it was a bit disturbing. She had felt, so many times, her own impending death. And it was never with relief. Each time she found herself close to the end, she feared for her life, for what her death would mean, for the unknown place she was about to be forced to explore. And for solitude. Knowing that her death would leave her utterly alone, separated from him...

She sucked in air as she continued to run, her legs aching as she angled to her left, the desire to get to him in the forefront of her mind.

Nothing made sense, not his presence now, nor her life if she thought about it. She should be dead. She remembered something, like a flash of a past life. A dungeon, admitting something she had kept hidden for so long, and seeing Ron...

"..._Hermione_..."

She was so close to him now.

And then, out of the darkness, he moved into a strip of moonlight as he ran towards her too.

A gasp, and she was being ripped back by a pair of strong arms. Curses flew through the air around her, and she heard _his_ furious voice echo...

"Impedimenta! Expelliarmus!"

She ducked as Ron's second spell hit the Death Eater behind her, but he growled with anger as his wand was expelled from his hand and only tightened his grip on Hermione. Ron wasn't far away now, and his aim was very good as he shot red bolts from his wand. Hermione heard several of the Death Eaters fall to the ground as they cast their own curses in Ron's direction. She watched as he ducked each one successfully, but it suddenly occurred to her that she should be calling out to him, telling him to get out of the way. He was so far outnumbered... And that's when she realized that the grip the Death Eater had around her torso was literally crushing her lungs. She couldn't breathe, couldn't speak. Her eyes went wide and she opened her mouth, trying desperately to gasp in air. But as she saw _his_ angry face move even closer, no regard for the curses and the number of Death Eater's casting them in his direction, she felt a wave of calm that frightened her even more...

"Bastard! Let her go! Incarcerous!" Ron screamed, ducking again as an Unforgivable headed his way. But _his_ curse had bound two Death Eaters together with thick ropes and they fell to the ground, writhing in an attempt to free themselves.

_You're not going to make it. Make him leave you..._ A little voice inside her head was very quietly chanting to her, telling her what she needed to do. And she obeyed, slumping against the Death Eater beside her as if dead, though she was not, hoping that Ron would leave now that he had nothing to save...

But she heard his cries, his anguished screams as he blasted curse after curse at the Death Eaters. And then suddenly, she felt the Death Eater holding her letting go, dropping her to the ground. She fell in a heap, her head knocking hard against a rock. Warm blood spilled from the wound and she was barely conscious.

"Ron..." she whispered.

His shouts were becoming more distant to her as she felt her body growing cold from loss of blood and oxygen. Footsteps surrounded her, some large boots hitting her as they passed over her towards Ron. He was dead, she was sure of it. He would never make it if he stayed. She raised her head from the ground just an inch, feeling her wand under her body as if it had materialized out of nothing. She pulled it out from where it had been digging into her side, and summoning up all the strength she could find, she pushed up onto her knees, her head spinning, blood trickling down her forehead.

She saw him. Close.

"Accio!" she cried, her wand aimed at his back. He fell backwards quickly. The charm wasn't quite strong enough to pull him all the way to her, but she knew what she had to do next. Sweeping her wand in a circular motion, she closed her eyes. "Protego Totalum. Cave Inimicum."

Immediately, the Death Eaters that remained outside of her protective barrier fell back, their curses unable to make it through the shield. Two Death Eaters had been too close for her to keep out, and they aimed their wands at Ron.

"Ron!" she cried, and his head whipped around. He caught her eyes, relief shining in his own. And with a flick of his wrist, he knocked one of the Death Eaters out cold. Hermione saw for the first time that he was bleeding badly, his arm completely covered in blood already. But he would be fine. He had to be. She was blacking out, dying most likely, but she had saved him. At least for now. And another wave of peace washed over her as she listened to his voice cursing the last remaining Death Eater within their protective shield.

_Sleep_... the little voice inside her head was whispering. And, not knowing if she'd ever wake again, she allowed herself to fall under the heavy weight of unconsciousness.

This time it had worked. She had saved him...

* * *

Ron opened his eyes and they filled instantly with salty water. Confused, he tried to take in a breath, only to realize immediately that he was submerged in water. Choking but unable to cough, he frantically kicked his legs, trying as hard as he could to find the surface, if one existed. As he started to lose feeling in his legs, bright lights popping in front of his eyes, he felt the top of his head break the surface. He flailed his arms as his nose and mouth passed from water to air, and, coughing and choking madly, he attempted to gasp in the cold air around him.

The water was choppy, but not terribly rough. He couldn't see much in the darkness, couldn't tell which direction he needed to swim in to reach the land... if he was even close enough to make it.

Still coughing water out of his lungs, he paddled his legs under his body, struggling to stay afloat.

Nothing about anything that was happening to him now made any sense. Hadn't he taken something fatal, a potion perhaps? Had he been tossed here after his 'death'? Was he dead now? Had anything been real at all? Where was Hermione?

The moment he thought her name, he saw movement in the water a few feet away. Her head broke the surface and she began gasping in air, coughing and choking, her eyes wide.

"Hermione!" Ron screamed through another fit of coughing. She spotted him, but could not speak. The water was threatening to take her down again. She was struggling desperately against the choppy waves.

Ron swam towards her, aware of the fact that he could still barely breathe, his chest aching, but he pushed all thoughts of his own well being out of his mind as he tried to reach Hermione through the current. When he finally reached her, her eyes were wide, her arms stretched out towards him. His hands pushed forward through the dark water and landed on her hips, pulling her closer to him. He felt her beginning to sink as she momentarily forgot to move her legs, and he had to kick extra hard for them both to keep them afloat.

For a long moment, they struggled together, staring into each other's eyes. Ron wondered if Hermione was as confused as he was, but he didn't spare much thought for how it was all possible. His heart had already tripled in speed at the realization that at least she was alive. Her shivering body was so close to his...

But as if he had known it all along, had sensed it, a dull roar began to gradually increase as something, _someone_, threatened to overtake them, to pull them under again from wherever it was they had come from... And he felt his feet being yanked roughly down. Instantly, he let go of Hermione, knowing that if he didn't, she'd be pulled under with him. If he let her go, she might have a chance...

"Swim!" he tried to shout, but his sore lungs barely pushed enough air past his throat for him to make a sound. He gasped in as much air as he could. Hermione's terrified eyes were the last thing he saw before his head was once again submerged.

Struggling to retrieve his wand from his back pocket, Ron's body twisted as it was pulled further under by an unknown hand. He writhed against the strong hands that were moving higher up his legs, gaining more control of his body as he was plunged deeper.

He heard the deep thunk of a splash from above, the echo of one from where he was quickly descending, and he opened his eyes, the salt burning him fiercely as he tried to see, but he had to know, had to see if she had been pulled under too.

He tried to kick, to free himself, but it was no use. The masked face of a man moved into his limited view. A thick bubble bobbed around his head, and Ron knew that the Death Eater before him could breathe just fine and would not need to surface. If Ron couldn't free himself, he would die here.

The strangest thing was the realization that he wouldn't have cared if he had known that she'd be alright. He had never thought of himself as especially brave, but right then, at that moment, he would have died a thousand times over if he knew she'd be fine, that she would survive. But he couldn't see her, couldn't feel her near him, and he had to know, had to be sure before he gave in. He had one thing to live for, to fight for, and he was going to make it - _he had to_ - because she needed him to.

Finally, he managed to free his wand from his tight pocket, and, trying to hide it as long as he could from the view of the Death Eater who now held him tightly around the waist, his mind raced through spells, curses, options...

All remaining breath in his lungs had left him. He wasn't sure if he could even shout the spells, if they would work underwater. He had never had a reason to try it before. But he knew if he could make it work, could concentrate hard enough, he could perform them non-verbally. It was his only shot. He closed his eyes...  
_  
Relashio..._ The Death Eater's grip slackened. _Impervious..._ A wave seemed to ripple through the water, roughly moving him out of the Death Eater's grasp. _Stupefy..._ He was free.

As his second charm's effects raged on, he felt another rough ripple in the water... and a small body slamming against him. He opened his eyes again painfully, his arms tightening around... _Hermione_.

His back hit something prickly and he moved one hand back to grip whatever it was as the current surged, attempting to hold them under the raging water. Thorns cut into his palm as he tightened his grip, but he had to hold on, to pull them up to the surface. His body was pushed away from the one solid thing that was keeping them grounded.

The current ripped through the water again. Ron held Hermione tightly, knowing that she would be swept away from him if he let her go. With one hand firmly gripping the thick plant, he summoned up all of his strength to plant his feet on the unstable sand beneath him, and he pushed off, letting go of the plant at the same moment that his feet left the ground. Their heads surfaced as one. Ron tried to breathe, tossing himself forward as he spotted the shore, every inch of his body screaming for him to stop, to give up, that he wouldn't make it. But with Hermione in his arms, he had a mission, and he wasn't going to give up, even if it killed him.

Finally, his feet found sand again and he moved them forward towards the shore.

"Almost," Ron managed to whisper, pushing forward until his chest was out of the water. "Put your feet down..." he instructed Hermione as he panted, trying to keep breathing. But he heard no reply from her. Immediately, he felt her dead weight as he realized that he was literally dragging her out of the water. He looked down, horrified, at her unconscious body. "Hermione!"

One more step...

And he was falling onto the sand with her. He flipped her onto her back. Her eyes were closed, her lips blue. Without a moment's pause, he tilted her head back, reached his fingers into her mouth to be sure she wasn't choking, and pounded on her chest. He was sobbing, but he wasn't sure how that was possible. He had no breath left inside of him. Everything that he had managed to summon to get them out of the water had vanished, leaving him lifeless and aching.

But he had to breathe. She needed him. He felt his chest tighten as if forbidding him to take another breath.

"No," he mouthed, no sound escaping his lips as he had no breath to push out. His lungs were empty...

He leaned down over Hermione, his tears mixing with the water on her face. And, moving his lips close to hers, he sucked in an agonizing breath. He wanted to scream from the pain ripping through his chest, but he couldn't spare the air for anything, anyone except for her... He touched his lips to hers and let out a ragged last breath, filling her lungs as he toppled onto the sand beside her. The little popping lights were back, and this time, they were taking over.

But just as he lost consciousness, he heard her coughing beside him. And his lips curled into a smile as he shut his eyes.

This time it had worked. He had saved her.

* * *

_**A/N: **One more chapter after this before I'll start explaining things a bit more... :) Hope you're all still enjoying this!_


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

Hermione woke up crying. She knew before she opened her eyes what would happen. She would be in danger, _Ron _would be in danger, and she'd have to feel the pain of death again as she watched him fight for her. And if she couldn't save him?

She scrambled to her feet, not even taking note of where she was. Her feet were on solid ground, stone or concrete, but it didn't matter. The place and time did not make a difference. It felt the same now as before, her wand mysteriously appearing in her pocket when she thought of it, her mind fuzzy, her eyes burning with all of her fears and regrets...

Then suddenly, the world was tilting. She fell hard to the ground, breaking her fall with her palms down. Small bits of gravel cut into her skin, tearing her hands open as she pressed herself to the ground, feeling her body slip down...

"Why the _fuck_!" she heard him shout, and she turned her head to the left, searching for him.

"Ron?"

She watched as he crawled out from behind a bush, holding onto the branches in front to steady himself as he tried to keep from slipping down.

"Hermione?!" he squinted, watching as she pressed herself tighter to the ground, her fingernails digging at the concrete in an attempt to stay put. "I'm coming!" he called.

He flattened his body against the concrete and crawled slowly towards her.

"Don't!" Hermione shouted, trying to stop him from moving. He began to slip with her, nothing to grab onto to remain in one place.

A breeze tickled Hermione's face as Ron moved closer, ignoring her demand. But when he was merely a foot away, he stumbled, his legs sliding down so his head and arms were higher than the rest of his body, same as Hermione's. They remained lying face down on the concrete, Ron trying to look over at her and maintain his balance at the same time. But the breeze picked up, trying its best to force them to relinquish their struggling hold on the tilted ground beneath them.

"This is mental!" Ron shouted as the breeze continued to build to a harsh wind. Hermione sobbed next to him, feeling hopeless and overwhelmed as she tried to force her brain to focus on getting Ron out of this, on saving him like she knew she had to. "I thought..." Ron started, looking devastated as he locked eyes with Hermione, their hands finally slipping lower, sliding painfully on the concrete.

"Please, Ron," Hermione begged, tears slipping down her cheeks. "Please help m-me..."

"I'm trying," Ron said, his forehead knitted with concern. Hermione blinked, allowing more tears to rush down her face as she moved her legs against the ground, trying to stabilize herself as the wind increased.

"All you h-have to do is find a way to be a-alright," Hermione cried, her hands now leaving a light trail of blood as she slipped further down.

"What?" Ron asked, looking confused and desperate. "You're the one who I have to..." but he cut himself off as she slipped again. He pressed his body into the concrete more securely and lifted one hand to her back, clutching her cotton shirt in his fist.

"Promise you'll be alright this time. I c-can't watch you die again..." She slipped, her words lost on the wind.

"Hermione," Ron began, a horrified expression on his face. He was too confused to respond to her comment, so he tried to reassure her. "Don't worry. I'll save you."

"No!" Hermione screamed, her eyes wide as she and Ron both slipped again. "Don't you understand?! That's exactly what I'm b-begging you not to do! Ron, p-please!"

Ron's hand left her back for a brief moment as he reached back towards his pocket for his wand.

"Ron!" Hermione shouted as she began sliding nonstop down the concrete. Abandoning his quest for his wand, his mind focused on Hermione, he let up the pressure he was exerting on the ground and allowed himself to be swept downwards towards her. And then he felt his feet leave the edge...

Hermione screamed. Her legs slipped easily off the edge of the ground, down towards nothing. Ron desperately tried to hold on as he felt his whole body sliding off the edge of the cliff. Grasping frantically, he managed to find a groove to hold on to, his fingers turning white from the pressure. His arms extended straight as his whole body lost contact with the ground, and he slammed roughly into the side of the cliff face as his nails dug painfully into the concrete above his head. Hermione had managed to hold on too, but found herself in a similar position, her arms extended above her head to grasp onto anything she could reach.

The wind increased again, and Ron let out a hopeless sob as he watched Hermione's scared eyes dart around, looking for a way to save them.

He spotted her wand in her back pocket, but knew he wouldn't be able to reach hers or his own without falling.

"I saved you!" Ron bellowed over the strong wind. "You were supposed to be alright!"

Hermione stared at him, lost for words for a moment as she processed his desperate cry. Her eyes stung and her mouth was dry. Ron looked away from her hopelessly, holding on tight but a sort of desolate expression on his face as he fought back his own tears.

"I saved you too..." Hermione mumbled, her voice lost in the wind. Ron tilted his head towards hers, sure he had heard her speak, but he hadn't been able to make out the words. And as he looked into her eyes, he saw the truth he had suspected, the one he had been dreading though he knew it was true...

"We're not going to make it, are we," he whispered, his words also falling short of Hermione's ears, though she could read his lips, and she felt that she could almost read his mind. "Is this my nightmare or yours?" he shouted, and she shook her head, unsure of anything anymore. Their eyes locked, their fingers finally slipped, their breathing became harsh and fast, and they both felt the other giving in. "Remember this, remember everything," Ron said, though he wasn't sure why had he said it.

"I-" started Hermione.

"I love you," they mouthed at the same instant, and their hands slipped from the cliff, their bodies tumbling through the air towards the unknown.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**  
_  
This isn't us. We're going to make it; we're going to live... Wake up!_

_Wake up._

_...  
_  
Ron awoke with a start, his pulse racing as he stared up into the star filled sky. He was lying on his back in the middle of the woods again. But he was supposed to feel his body crash to the ground. He was supposed to feel his own death...

The moment he had regained full consciousness, he sat straight up, tears pouring in sheets down his face as he let out a heavy sob.

"No," he cried as he pushed himself up onto his feet, dizziness threatening to pull him back down again. He felt now that he would rather die for good, rather his life end now than continue to live in this loop, a place where every time he woke, his only reason to open his eyes was to save her again. He wanted her to be safe and he would end his life for that, would gladly take permanent death over her fear, over the chance that he might not be able to save her in the end.

But then suddenly, like he had been hit over the head with a Bludger, he knew where he was and why... he was in a familiar spot in the forest, exactly where he had first fallen to the ground after he'd heard Hermione's voice calling to him...

"Hermione," he whispered through another wave of tears as his eyes darted around the dark forest, searching for any sign of the Death Eaters he remembered being present when they had released that strange mist... He turned around and another wave of dizziness overtook him. He stumbled, blinking rapidly as he fumbled in his back pocket for his wand. It was missing.

His eyes shot open wider as he focused on remaining conscious. Something was different. It felt... real.

"Hermione," he whispered, and then he was running. He had no idea what possessed him, how he was even remaining on his feet. He felt like he would collapse at any moment. The world seemed to spin around him so quickly that he wasn't sure which direction he was heading, or if he was even going the same way for more than a few steps.

He burst out of the forest, unsure if he really knew where he was heading deep down or if he was simply going mad...

* * *

_Wake up._

Hermione sucked in air, trying to remember to breathe as her eyes opened to a vague cloud of mist. Her face was pressed into the damp grass.

Before she even gained full consciousness, she was crying loudly, her eyes already sore from something that had come before, from every time she had been faced with his death... But this was different. Her eyes widened as she pushed herself up into a sitting position, her head now above the mist.

There was a shadow in the distance.

Not knowing what she was doing or why, she scrambled to her feet and began to push herself forward, her body unwilling to cooperate with her heart, but her desire to move forward overtaking all other functions for a moment, allowing her to do what should have been impossible.

Her fists clenched as she shook her head furiously, running and stumbling, trying not to fall. Everything was real. Everything was different. She was alive, awake at last, and the shadow grew closer...

* * *

"It's you," Ron half whispered, half cried, as he saw a figure rise from the field a good distance away still. His lips curled as he watched her running towards him on shaky legs. He knew it was her. He just knew it.

* * *

His shadow turned into a moonlit outline of a very tall person, a person she would know from a mile away.

She laughed through her sobs as the distance between them closed.

* * *

They sobbed each other's names as they crashed into each other, falling to the ground. He held her so tightly he was afraid he would crush her. But she squeezed him back, her arms wrapped all the way around his back, her nails digging into his skin at his sides. Her hair covered his face, and as she felt him breathe out heavily through his mouth, she tried to convince herself to move, to be sure she wasn't suffocating him.

But he whispered her name over and over into her ear, his hot breath assuring her that he was alive. She knew this was real, that everything before was over. And he knew it too. Nothing mattered.

_They were alive..._

* * *

The sky lightened with the rapidly approaching dawn. The pounding of heavy footsteps on the earth resounded as many pairs of eyes searched the landscape around them.

Ginny could hear her own quick breaths magnified from inside the mask that covered her nose and mouth as she continued running forward, her eyes wide. She felt that she could have been running for days. Her ribs ached, but it did not slow her down. She only had one thing to think about, one reason to keep going. Ron and Hermione had yet to be found, and every moment that passed felt like another notch down on the scale of possibility, etching away a layer of hope of recovering them both alive in the end.

She could feel Harry running to her left, though she hadn't dared to look over at him in a long while, her eyes fixed on the terrain ahead of her, intent on her goal, on her only mission.

And then, her eyes landed on something unbelievable, something she hardly dared to accept at first. Two bodies crashed together and fell to the ground at least a hundred feet ahead of Ginny. Her mouth opened automatically as the two vanished from view under a layer of mist, and she screamed, pointing forward.

"There!! I saw them!!"

She sprinted towards the spot where she had seen them, slipping on the damp ground as she finally arrived at the spot, Harry just behind her, Aurors surrounding them on all sides, all masked and breathing heavily.

Ginny dropped into the mist with Harry and their eyes landed on Ron and Hermione, cloudy air surrounding them and making them seem almost transparent. Their bodies were pressed tightly together from cheek to foot, lying on their sides, thick tears covering both of their faces. Ginny let out a heavy sob, unable to move. Harry scrambled forward past her to his best friends, reaching out touch them.

"Ron! Hermione!"

They shivered, both sparing a brief glance up at him as if they had only just realized anyone else was there. Harry laughed and sobbed at the same time, leaning over them to join in their tight embrace, the misty cloud engulfing the three of them together. Harry felt Ron shaking from sobs underneath him and he squeezed his eyes shut as he heard Ginny crying softly behind him.

An Auror dropped down next to them, breathing loudly through his own mask.

"We have to get them out of here. Now," the Auror said in a stern yet concerned voice. "We've got to get them to St. Mungo's. They should be _dead_..." He stared at the four of them with a mixture of determination and confusion. Ginny nodded and reached out to take Harry's arm.

"St. Mungo's, Harry," she said, and he nodded, sniffing as he sat up.

"Can you hear us?" Harry asked Ron and Hermione who were both so absorbed in their embrace that it was hard to tell if they were even aware of the situation and of their own danger.

"Heard you," Ron managed to say into Hermione's hair, his voice so scratchy and muffled that Ginny couldn't even understand him, but Harry nodded and helped Ron and Hermione up, neither one willing to release the other as they stood on shaky legs.

Harry linked his arms into one of Ron's and one of Hermione's, but it was difficult for him to get a good grip with them still so tightly holding each other. Hermione's face was as pale as it had ever been before, and Ron's eyes seemed locked on hers so tightly that they would have to be surgically separated from each other.

"St. Mungo's," Harry mumbled, his eyes on Ginny who nodded once, understanding that she was to join them there on her own. Harry turned, and in a split second, he had vanished with Ron and Hermione, the sound of their Disapparition echoing slightly in the cold, dawn lit field.

* * *

With a slight stumble, Harry appeared in the lobby at St. Mungo's, clutching Ron and Hermione tightly. He spared a moment's thought to be mildly impressed with himself at the accuracy of his aim. But then he spotted a healer coming his way and he looked up at Ron. Ron's eyes were glazed over, still locked on Hermione's, tears still leaking from the corners and falling slowly down his pale, freckle-covered cheeks.

"We need help!" Harry shouted, returning his attention to the healer who had almost reached them.

"What's happened?" she asked quickly as she approached them, her eyes moving quickly from Harry's face to Ron's, then to Hermione's.

"There was this... mist..." Harry began, wondering all of a sudden if she would have any idea what to do for them. He felt a bit silly recounting such a strange story, explaining what the Aurors had told him when he and Ginny had left the castle with the group, all of them quickly putting masks on over their mouths and noses... But he had to try. "It's-"

"Firewild?" the healer interrupted, her eyes now locked on Harry.

"Yes," Harry said, bewildered. "How did you-"

"We've seen cases recently. Please," she added, quickly ushering Harry, Ron, and Hermione down the long hallway before them. She hurried to help Harry support Ron and Hermione who both seemed to be having trouble moving their legs.

"So you know how to help them?" Harry asked, realizing how desperate he sounded, but not caring. He was terrified...

The healer remained eerily silent as they reached the end of the hall. She helped the three of them into a large room to the left. Curtains hung around beds in a very similar way to the infirmary at Hogwarts. Harry felt a slight bit of comfort in the familiarity of it, but was not very reassured by the healer's lack of answer to his very important question...

"Here," she said as they neared a set of empty beds in the corner. She pulled the curtains around each back a bit further and took Hermione by the arm.

"No!" Hermione shouted suddenly, clutching onto Ron as if she would die if separated from him. The healer stared at Hermione for a moment, shocked by her outburst. But when the healer caught Ron's eyes which had turned away from Hermione and were now focused a bit threateningly on the healer's, she nodded her head.

"Okay," the healer said, motioning towards the beds. "But you have to lie down..." She seemed confused, lost, as if it was her first day in the infirmary.

"Please..." Harry began as Ron and Hermione tumbled into the tiny bed together, holding each other tightly and not even bothering to move up onto the pillows. "Tell me what's wrong with them, if they're going to be okay..."

The healer took Harry's arm suddenly and led him away from the bed, out of earshot of Ron and Hermione...

* * *

Hermione felt like time had stopped. Everything around her had come to a halt as she looked into Ron's eyes. She had never seen anything so beautiful. She felt her heart swelling so large that it became painful, her chest constricting to hold everything inside that she felt. He blinked, and another set of fresh tears rolled down his cheeks. It had become a part of blinking for both of them, the tears that would not stop forming, would not stop growing as they stared at each other, unable to believe that they were really alive.

Hermione's brain felt light and fuzzy, though she did not feel confused. It was as if she had been drugged and now that she was alright, she only had one thing on her mind, one thing to occupy every sense, and he was staring back at her so passionately, so protectively, that she knew he must understand.

* * *

Ron would not let himself give in, not let himself fully believe that it was real until... well, he didn't know how long that might take. As they laid there in the infirmary bed, their eyes locked so tightly, their tears dampening the sheets beneath them, he had no desire to ever move for the rest of his life. If he could be here with her, here to protect her, then nothing else in the world really mattered. And he was really _here _with her! Somehow, some way, they had found each other, and he wanted so badly to believe it, to know that they would be alright.

* * *

"I don't know how they're alive," the healer admitted to Harry, her voice very low.

"What do you mean?" Harry asked, fear creeping up his spine.

"They should be dead," she continued. "We've never successfully brought a patient around who's been exposed to Firewild smoke."

"What is it?" Harry asked frantically.

"We don't know precisely," she said sadly, shaking her head. "But we do know that whatever it is, the Death Eaters who created it knew what they were doing. It causes the person affected to fall into a trance, a nightmare. The theory is that their worst nightmares come true and are played out until their inevitable death. It's a twist on the affects caused by an individual seeing a Boggart. But unlike a Boggart, you can't overcome the sensation, can't reason with it and convince yourself that it isn't real. Some may go mad from the visions, others may try to solve it, but none have ever regained consciousness once they have gone under the affects."

"But... we don't know if Ron and Hermione actually lost consciousness..." Harry said slowly.

"How long were they exposed?" the healer asked, glancing over Harry's shoulder at the bed where Ron and Hermione lay silently clutching each other.

"We don't really know, but when we found them, they were lying on the ground and that smoke was surrounding them," Harry said quickly.

"Then they lost consciousness," the healer said confidently.

"How do you know?" Harry asked, glancing over his own shoulder at his best friends.

"The smoke only takes one breath to put you under. Inhale it one time, with one breath, and it's over. Were you wearing a mask when you found them?"

Harry nodded as he looked around the room, desperation etched into his features.

"We need to speak to each of them, to find out what they saw and if they know why they're alive," the healer continued rationally. "Then, we might be able to start... treatment... but we have to understand why they woke up."

Harry nodded.

"Okay."

* * *

Unaware that he was actually moving, Ron suddenly realized that he had found Hermione's hand and was lacing their fingers together. He felt her squeeze his hand back tightly. He wanted to say so many things, but he didn't know where to start or if his brain could even handle it at the moment. It was like he had just awoken from years of nightmares, each of which had ripped a piece of his soul from his chest. And now that it was over, Hermione had brought with her all of those pieces, sewing them gently, with each of her steady breaths, back into him again.

"Alive," he whispered, no other logical words coming to mind. It was the word that made all the difference, that kept him breathing, that kept her in his arms. She smiled and he felt his heart rip from his chest again, but this time, he wasn't losing it. He was willingly giving it up, handing it all to her, and with everything he had, he was praying that she would take it, that she wanted it, because he knew that if she had it, nothing could ever be wrong again.

"Alive," she whispered back through her tears, her sore eyes searching his. And he felt, though he couldn't be sure, that she had given him something of hers too. His eyes were beginning to shut and he could do nothing to stop it. He felt her breathing, felt her chest rise and fall against his. He felt her heart pounding the most beautiful rhythm he had ever heard.

Relief.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

Ron became slowly aware of a voice above him, someone familiar yet oddly distant to him. And then his eyes cracked open, landing on the blurred image of Hermione's face. She took a deep, slow breath in her sleep and he felt a wave of peace radiate from his chest to his limbs, forgetting the voice entirely as he watched her from inches away, his right arm tightly holding her close to his body, his left arm numb from its position underneath her.

"Ron..."

It was Harry. Ron snapped out of his daze long enough to look up, catching sight of Harry's head and shoulders where he was standing, leaning slightly over them, at the foot of the bed. Harry looked terribly relieved to see Ron's eyes open and focused.

"How do you feel?" Harry asked.

"M' okay," Ron said in a near whisper.

"The healer needs to talk to you," Harry said in a soft voice. Ron noticed now how messy Harry's hair looked, even more so than usual, and the disheveled way that his clothes hung on his body, twisted slightly and wrinkled, as if he had been up for a very long time in the same wardrobe.

Ron nodded slightly against the pillow as the healer moved into his line of vision and sat in a chair near the bed on Hermione's side, so she had a good view of Ron over Hermione's small body. Ron caught sight of Ginny momentarily where she stood behind Harry, watching him with a concerned expression, puffy bags under her slightly swollen eyes.

"Mr. Weasley," the healer began in a hushed tone. Her voice was soothing and gentle and it nearly put Ron to sleep to listen to it. "I need you to talk about what happened, to explain to me how you're here now. I need you to tell me about the mist..."

Ron's eyes darted around in terror as he realized she was asking him to recount his worst nightmares right here with Harry and Ginny watching and listening, with Hermione sleeping soundly in his arms. He pulled her closer to him instinctively, feeling her warmth and her life...

"Please," the healer continued, and Ron noticed a hint of desperation in the way she spoke.

"Why?" Ron asked simply, his voice very scratchy.

"Because it may save your lives."

"But... we're alive now," Ron said, a bit confused. "You think this isn't over?"

"We can't know that yet," the healer said gently and Ron swallowed hard, thinking only of Hermione. He was suddenly struck with the knowledge that he couldn't be sure of anything, couldn't be certain it was all real. He hadn't experienced another nightmare however, and that had to mean something. He had been sleeping for a while with no dreams... Finally, after a long pause during which Ron convinced himself that he had to be strong, to do this for _her_, he nodded again.

"It was..." he started, his voice cracking, "like being in hell."

The healer's eyes widened slightly and he heard his sister gasp softly from the foot of the bed, but he ignored them and continued.

"Every time, when I thought I was waking up, I knew I had to find Hermione. And the first time..." he paused, blinking furiously to prevent more tears from trying to fall down his cheeks. His head was already pounding slightly from all the tears he had shed through the night... "I... I couldn't save her. I died trying, but... but they killed her too."

"Who did?" the healer finally asked, looking confused. Ron realized that he wasn't making a lot of sense, so he tried to explain as best he could...

"The first time I woke up, I found her, but she was in danger. Death Eaters. They wanted her blood for... well, I don't know why. But I tried to save her, tried to take her place. And they let me. But she... she came with us, tried to stop me from doing it and... they killed her once I was almost dead. They tricked me. I... I felt it. I saw them do it. And saw her after... after it was over..."

Ron stopped speaking, his mind racing. He hardly realized he was still in the room with other people. His eyes found Hermione's closed ones and he squinted as he looked at her, still fighting the tears that were demanding to fall. He absentmindedly moved his arm from around her, feeling slightly stiff from holding her so tightly for as long as he had been in this bed... and he stroked her cheek gently without really thinking about it, pushing a bit of hair off her face, his fingers lightly breezing over her skin. _Beautiful_...

"But it wasn't over," Ron heard Harry say, and he was snapped back to life, back to this bed in St. Mungo's where there were people waiting for him to finish his story.

He shook his head.

"No," Ron croaked. "I was dead, and so was she, but when I woke up... It all just happened again... but I saved her. I died, but I saved _her_. It worked."

The healer's eyes widened.

"You overcame your fear?"

Ron stared at her, thinking. Is that what he had done?

"You stupid git," came Ginny's wavering voice as she moved to stand level with Harry.

Surprised by hearing his sister's voice, Ron jumped a little as he looked down the bed at her. He removed his arm from under Hermione and propped himself up on his elbow so he could see Ginny better, but he remained on his side, his right arm hugging Hermione to his body again as he waited for Ginny to explain herself.

"You didn't care if you died, did you," Ginny said accusingly, though she didn't seem angry exactly, "as long as you saved Hermione."

Ron swallowed, knowing that she was right, that she had said exactly what he had been thinking in his dreams...

Harry glanced at Ginny, obviously agreeing with her now that she had spoken, but surprised by her ability to understand Ron's intentions so quickly.

"I always wondered if he'd do it," Ginny explained, looking at Harry, "if _she _was ever in danger. I knew that he'd put her life before his. And that's what it sounds like to me."+

Ron watched as Harry looked from Ginny to the bed, finding Ron's eyes.

"That's what happened," Ron finally admitted. Harry nodded once very slightly, and Ron knew he understood everything. "But... but then it started again. I woke up. She was in danger. I was supposed to save her. And... it was like she knew, like she was trying to save me too or... I don't understand it... We were sliding down this road. And when we knew it was over, when we were about to fall off the edge, it was... _peaceful_..."

The healer studied him for a long moment when he had finished speaking. Ginny sniffed, but remained silent, her hand moving to Harry's as they watched, waiting for some sort of explanation from the healer, for her to hopefully have gotten what she needed from Ron's story, enough to be sure they'd be alright...

"Thank you," the healer finally said to Ron. "I know that was hard for you." She stood, motioning for Harry and Ginny to follow her away from the bed.

Ron turned his attention back to Hermione as she continued to doze peacefully beside him. He had so many questions. He felt like his head was too full. It was heavy, a bit clouded, and as he allowed his eyes to move out of focus, Hermione's features blurring before him, he felt sleep tugging at him again...

* * *

"You think they had the same fear," Harry stated to the healer when they had moved out of earshot of Ron and Hermione. Ginny looked over at Harry questioningly.

"Perhaps," the healer said, nodding. "I think it sounds like Mr. Weasley was able to do something... _incredible_... that he was able to _succeed _in his dream. I think that the way he was able to do it..." She paused, looking away from Harry and Ginny for a moment. It seemed that her eyes had gotten rather watery all of a sudden. "He put her life before his, he valued her above himself, and because of that..."

"He wasn't afraid of his own death," Harry finished.

"Exactly. And when he stopped caring if he lived or died, the nightmare couldn't take as strong of a hold on his mind. He feared her death so much more than his own that her death became the nightmare, not his. And when he saved her, he overcame it."

Harry nodded, feeling overwhelmed. He had known that Ron and Hermione had feelings for each other, even suspected that they were in _love _with each other and just too stubborn and scared to admit it to the other, especially after the past year, especially after their kiss in the Room of Requirement mere days ago. But it sounded like something... _different_... It was an emotion too big for words. Harry didn't know how to process it or explain it, but he could see it now that he thought about it, could see the way Ron looked at Hermione, the way they had met eyes in the Common Room so many late nights in the past. He had a million flashbacks of moments that he had written off as friendly or even marked up to silly flirtation... but now, they seemed to mean so much more, something bigger than any words could explain.

"What do we do now?" Harry asked, clearing his mind so he could focus on the most important thing right now - making sure they were alright.

"We need to question Ms. Granger, and we need to do it where Mr. Weasley can't hear her. I need you both," she looked from Harry to Ginny, "to be sure not to give away any clues as to what Mr. Weasley said a moment ago. We need her to give her own account without influence. Then we can see if they cross over."

Harry and Ginny both nodded, and with a sweep of her robes, the healer led them back to the bed.

All was silent and so still. Ron was asleep again, wrapped up in Hermione. Harry moved around to Hermione's side of the bed, hoping to wake her without waking Ron so they would not have to separate them. He knew that neither of them would appreciate being taken away from the other just now, and he wanted nothing less than to force them apart when what he now saw was so much more beautiful than he had ever realized...

"Hermione..." he whispered, touching her shoulder gently. "Hermione."

He shook her slightly, and a moment later, he watched as her eyelashes fluttered against her skin. She blinked and focused on Ron, his face mere inches from hers on the same pillow, his eyes shut as he slept.

"Hermione," Harry said again. It was as if she hadn't heard him... "Hermione..."

She finally looked up at Harry, her eyes slightly glazed over and her cheeks a bit pale.

"How do you feel?" Harry asked in a whisper.

Hermione glanced down the bed at Ginny and the healer, then back to Harry.

"Better," Hermione said, her lips trying to curl into a smile. Harry nodded.

"Ms. Granger," said the healer in a soft voice as she moved up to stand next to Harry. "We need to speak with you. It's very important. Do you think you can tell us... about what happened to you out there?" The healer sat in the same chair she had used when questioning Ron. It was difficult for Hermione to look directly at her without moving away from Ron, and she was clearly not alright with moving away from him at all. She nodded reluctantly, agreeing to tell her story anyway.

"I..." she started, her eyes finding Harry's. Harry nodded, trying to reassure her, and she blinked, snapping back to life. "It was... I don't know how to describe how _terrible_..."

Harry swallowed, feeling a bit sick. He hated seeing his friends so broken, and it was so hard to hear what she had to say, hard to know the truth, especially after Ron's story, after knowing now what they had been through...

"I... I watched him _die_..." Hermione cried in a hushed voice. No one spoke, simply waiting for her to continue. And finally, after a long moment, she went on... "The first time, I tried to save him. I thought... I thought it was real... I thought he w-was really going to... but I took his place. The Death Eaters wanted his... blood... for something... but I... I couldn't! I couldn't leave him..." her voice broke and she shivered as she blinked back tears. "Th-they said they'd kill him! I... I didn't want him to know what I was doing. And they gave me a potion. I felt it right away. I knew I was going to d-die... and then... they... they said they'd let him go! But they didn't. They... killed him anyway!"

Harry looked down, very close to tears himself. He didn't want Hermione to see, to know how her story was affecting him too. He had to hear it out, to know how it all was going to end...

* * *

Hermione didn't know how she was doing it, how she was telling them everything. She had thought she wouldn't be able to speak for some time, that her mind would shut down, only one thought allowed to pass through it, the one that had kept her alive... Her strength was Ron, and she could spare no emotion, no air at all for anything else. But she was speaking, she was telling her story. The words felt automatic, pouring out of her without thought. It was so much easier to look away from Ron, to speak without seeing him, without her distraction... She looked up into Harry's concerned face and was reminded that she was not finished, that they needed her to continue, to tell them everything. She breathed in deeply.

"Then..." she finally continued softly. "I woke up again. I couldn't believe it. I... I was... running. They caught me. But this time... I knew... I knew I would save him. That he'd be alright. Because he had to. I couldn't do it again! I couldn't watch him die..."

"You saved him, but _you _died?" the healer asked. Hermione nodded.

"At least I thought I had," Hermione whispered, her forehead creased as she tried to keep herself together long enough to finish her story.

She looked over at Ron again, his eyes rolling slightly under his lids as he slept. But the moment her eyes landed on his face, taking in each of his features, his stubble from a few days without shaving, his pale eyelashes against pale freckled skin, his lips... She forgot where she was, who was watching, and what she was doing. She moved forward an inch and rested her forehead against his, moved her hands to the sides of his face, her eyes filling with tears now. And they slipped down her face as she felt him breathe.

"Then we were together," she whispered, her eyes on Ron, not moving away from him. "We were falling. He thought he was supposed to save me. But I was there to save _him_. And when we fell off the edge, I wasn't afraid."

There was a long silent moment during which Harry, Ginny and the healer simply gathered their thoughts, taking in what Hermione had said. And finally, with a slight scrape, the healer pushed back and stood from her chair. Hermione could not see her moving, but she could sense her as she stepped away from the bed.

"Thank you," the healer said in a soft voice that sounded as if it had died a little from lack of use. "That's all. Rest now."

And Hermione closed her eyes, feeling Harry watch her for a moment longer than the others, but finally, they had gone. It was so quiet, peaceful... And, drained of all energy, she tangled her legs with Ron's, feeling his arm tighten around her in his sleep, and she smiled, drifting off to join him.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

_A breeze, increasing in strength. A voice on the wind, calling his name. Would he ever see her again? He couldn't move or speak. His arms felt heavy, weighed down, locked. The scene began to shift dramatically, and he lost his grasp on this serene place..._

Gasping, Ron's eyes shot open. He wasn't afraid. It was something else, coming back from this dream. It was like waking from a coma, surfacing after a reality clouding illness. He wasn't sure what was real for a moment as he blinked, Hermione's face swimming into focus so close to his own. The muscles in his arms constricted and he felt her body press more tightly against his for a moment, his arms squeezing her towards him. Accepting that this was real, that _she _was real, he released her slightly, calming down.

He wondered briefly how long they had been here in this bed. It was clearly night. The white curtains that surrounded their bed now glowed slightly in the moonlight coming in through the high windows around the room. He studied Hermione's face as she slept on, feeling overwhelmed once again by her beauty and her presence here with him.

Finally, his arms cramping slightly, he pulled back from her. She stirred a bit, but did not wake, her eyes rolling behind her eyelids for a brief second. And after a very slow struggle, Ron managed to extricate himself from Hermione without waking her, and he stood, staring down at her as she slept on.

It took a very long while for him to turn away and pass through the curtains. He was much too consumed by his reality and by accepting that it was so, that she was safe. He wondered how many times he would wake up and go through this, having to once again come to terms with the fact that she was alright, that they both were, and that all that had come before, all the nightmares, had been only that - nightmares. They were a part of him, a part that had seemed so real but that he now had to let go of. He had to separate them now from his real life in order to believe that she was really going to be fine.

Carefully, quietly, he padded across the infirmary, passing several beds surrounded by the same white curtains. When he reached the double doors at the end, he pushed them open, wincing slightly at the loud creaking sound that they made. The hallway beyond was cold and quiet and not as well lit as the room he was leaving. He blinked, adjusting his eyes to the darkness. He realized almost immediately that he didn't know where he was going... he had set out for the loo, but now he realized he had absolutely no idea where that was. He glanced down the hall to the right, then the left, and finally, he headed to the left, no real idea of where this might lead him, simply taking a random guess.

After several minutes of slowly wandering the hallway, he found the loo. He paused, looking back the way he came, wondering if he'd remember how to retrace his steps. But he wasn't too worried, only curious.

He pushed open the door to the loo and walked sleepily across the cold floor. He could feel the stone through his thin socks, and he wondered now who had removed his shoes for him. He couldn't remember doing it for himself.

His eyes felt quite heavy now, and his blinking was more drawn out. Each time his eyelids would fall, they would take longer to rise again.

When he was finished in the loo, he turned to the sink, catching his reflection in the mirror. He was slightly shocked by the paleness of his skin. And as he stared at his own face, he realized... it was as if he was melting. He could almost see it happening. He was losing focus, his brain turning fuzzy as he felt his body relaxing, giving up. He reached out a hand to steady himself against the sink, but it was as if his skin had been numbed. He could not tell if he was actually holding onto the porcelain or not...

Struggling against the fog that was engulfing him, he moved back from the sink, knowing somewhere in the back of his mind that he needed help. But he stumbled, almost tripping to the ground, catching himself by grabbing onto the door handle as he rocked on his heels.

"Come on..." he muttered, shaking his head furiously, trying to stay conscious.

Blackness was creeping up into the corners of his eyes, but he resisted, pushing himself onward through the door and back out into the silent hallway. He had to move quickly, he knew that, but his legs did not want to take him another step. Forcing his body to do as he asked, he began to half run, half stumble down the long hallway, desperately trying to remember his way back to Hermione. And then suddenly it hit him. His vision began to cloud up and he could almost feel the breeze behind him. His heart began to race faster, faster... and reality began to slip through his fingers. He was falling under again, the same way he had each time a new nightmare had lined up, ready for him to receive it. The fog that had seemed to settle in his chest made it difficult for him to breathe normally. The air seemed thicker, more cloudy, almost as if laced with cigarette smoke, though it was odorless and he could not really see it.

"No... please!" Ron begged through clenched teeth as he turned off the main hall, looking around frantically. He had no idea if he was close, if he was even going the right way now. Spinning around quickly, he almost fell to the ground, dizziness overtaking him. He tried to open his mouth, to call out for someone, but he could not speak anymore. His lips hardly moved apart when his brain sent the signal that they needed to. He felt hot tears building in his eyes and seeping very slowly out of the corners, beginning to roll down his cold cheeks. And then suddenly, focusing all he had in him on the hallway ahead, he saw it, and he knew it was right. The double doors.

He braced himself against the wall, though he was unable to tell if he was really being supported. He could no longer feel anything in his hands or feet. His legs shook, giving out, and he slid to the floor. He began to crawl, pulling himself along with his hands. He felt something heavy in his chest, heavier than ever, weighing him down, making it hard to move. But he was almost there... _almost_...

* * *

_A sweet song filled the air. She looked to her right and saw the most beautiful smile. The sun beat down on them, making her skin burn pleasantly. Somehow she knew that she might not see him again for a while, though she did not feel despair. Only hope. A small creeping sensation on the back of her neck told her that things were changing... good things._

_A shadow._

_She fell to the warm grass._

_Cold rain began to fall from the sunny sky._

_Dark clouds rolled towards them._

_She looked up._

_He was gone._

_This was not how she imagined his departure. Terrified, she tried to stand again, but gravity forbid her from moving. She closed her eyes, tears rolling down her face. And when she opened them again..._

_A cold street underneath her, wind chilling her bones. And a familiar feeling of horror. She was alone. She might never see him again... Her sobs came out like screams and echoed against some distant wall or hill that she could not see..._

* * *

Ron pulled himself through the doors.

"Hermione," he mouthed, his eyes landing on the curtains around their bed at the other end of the infirmary. And, summoning up all the strength he could find, he scrambled furiously towards the bed, his knees digging harshly into the hard floor.

When he reached the curtains, his right hand moved up and grabbed onto them, roughly pulling them in a desperate attempt to get through them. The dead weight of his useless body pulled down with the force of his grasp, and the curtains ripped off their pole, noisily clattering to the floor. The sound seemed to snap him out of the last wave of fog that was quickly engulfing him, and in that moment, he caught sight of Hermione lying on her side in the bed. Tears rolled steadily down her face, though she continued to sleep. Her forehead was creased deeply. The sheets were tangled around her legs. And when he saw her pain, it injected into him the last ounce of life that he needed to reach her. He pulled himself up onto the bed, falling partially on top of her, his eyes squeezing shut as he pressed his face into her hair.

He had to wake her up. He knew he had to. He raised his head and began to shake her, gently at first, but when she would not wake, he increased the pressure and moved her shoulders more roughly.

"Please, Hermione!" he shouted, realizing suddenly that he had regained the ability to speak. He shook his head quickly back and forth, clearing out a bit more of the smoke. "Wake up!" He paused his frantic efforts for a moment and leaned over her again, pressing his face back into her hair, his lips against her ear. "Wake up."

She began to shake, and he felt her open her mouth against his neck. She screamed, the sound muffled by her own hoarse voice and by Ron's skin pressed to her face. Ron moved back to look her in the eyes, and some of the fog that had settled in him lifted instantly.

Both shivering, eyes wide, they stared at each other, both slowly regaining full use of their bodies, returning to reality.

* * *

"What happened?" Hermione cried, shivering violently. _Ron's here. He's fine. He's alive!_

"I don't k-know," Ron replied, looking immensely relieved to have heard Hermione's voice. "I... I went to the loo and... while I was there..."

Hermione tried to hold in her sobs, stifling them and beginning to calm down as Ron's hands gently caressed her face, bits of her hair tangled between his fingers. His eyes moved over her whole face. She felt her cheeks flush at his expression. The concern and love she saw clearly written on his face as he studied her... it brought fresh tears to her eyes as she tried to steady her breathing. Ron was still lying half on top of her, but she made no move to push him off. She wanted him to stay put forever...

"It was like... that mist... the fog... it started to... take over again," Ron managed to say. Hermione nodded, staring back into his eyes as he met hers again.

"Me t-too..." Hermione admitted. "I was dreaming... and then all of a sudden..." She closed her eyes. "The nightmares were back again, just as real as before. I thought it was all starting again, and I think it would have if you hadn't..." She opened her eyes suddenly as if just realizing what she was saying. Ron's wide eyes stared back into hers and she sensed that he was thinking the same thing. Then he spoke, confirming her suspicion...

"It's us, isn't it," Ron whispered. "We have to stay together or it will happen again!"

Hermione nodded very slowly. She knew what he said was right, but she couldn't explain how she knew it. And as they laid there, eyes wide, this new discovery sinking in, sounds from around them began to seep into their consciousnesses. Healers were rushing into the infirmary. Other patients, who had been asleep until Ron's dramatic return from the loo, were sitting on their beds, pushing their curtains back, some already on their feet, wands in hand, watching the scene with nervous expressions.

"Then... we'll stay together," Ron said, "all the time, at least until they find a cure."

Hermione nodded slowly again. The only cure they knew they had was each other. It was perfect somehow, as if someone had planned it this way. He was her cure, and she was his. And as long as he never left her side, she'd be alright. But this was something she had always known. She needed him in her life, she always had. But now, she needed him in order to go on breathing. He was literally keeping her alive. And she was breathing for him too.


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

Loud, echoing chaos.

Ron moved off of Hermione and slid to the edge of the bed as she sat up fully against the headboard, watching as several healers moved past the curtains on the floor next to the bed. Others attended to the mess, noisily righting the curtain rod. Several assistants were ushering concerned patients back into their beds.

Ron ran a hand through his hair shakily, still recovering from the trauma that had just overtaken him and Hermione.

"Mr. Weasley, Ms. Granger," said the healer who had first admitted them as she rushed up to their bed. "What's the matter? Are you both alright?"

Ron and Hermione looked at each other briefly before explaining what had happened that night...

* * *

**Wednesday.**

By the time they had finished their strange story, the doors were bursting open again to reveal a haggard looking Harry with a very tired Ginny trailing behind him. They made their way across the room in record time, arriving at Ron and Hermione's bedside in seconds.

"What happened?" Harry panted.

"What are you doing here, mate?" Ron asked. "You should be in bed. It's the middle of the night..."

"We, Ginny and I, have been kipping in a spare room," Harry admitted as he sat on the edge of the bed next to Ron. Ginny stood over them, awkwardly looking down at her brother. Ron raised his eyebrows at her but said nothing. "What happened?" Harry continued.

"Something totally mental..." Ron sighed, glancing at Hermione again. "You want to do them the honors?" he asked, having already explained the very bizarre circumstances to the healers who were now bustling about the infirmary as if it was midday.

Hermione sighed too, but nodded, resigned to tell Harry and Ginny the same story...

* * *

Two hours later, Ron and Hermione sat squished against the headboard, their bodies touching all along one side. Harry and Ginny sat in chairs on the left side of the bed, and one healer remained nearby, searching through paperwork for something unknown to anyone but her.

"What do you think they're going to do?" Ginny asked finally.

"What do you mean?" asked Ron.

"Well, they have to figure out how to fix this," Ginny said, looking a bit lost.

Everyone fell silent again. There was nothing to say, no way to explain what had happened or to even guess what might be the answer to solving it all, to fixing Ron and Hermione for good.

After another few minutes of thick silence, the door to the infirmary banged open again and the familiar elderly healer rushed towards the four of them.

"Mr. Weasley, Ms. Granger," she began when she reached them. She sighed heavily, shaking her head. "There's a chance that you've still got a trace of the smoke on your clothes, in your hair..."

Ron's eyes widened. He hadn't thought of that...

"We need you both to shower... right away. We'll bring you fresh clothes. It's very important..." She sighed again. "We really don't know what else to do at the moment. At least this way we can ensure that you will not be able to inhale any trace of the smoke again."

Ron swallowed hard, feeling a bit sick all of a sudden. The healer wanted them to take showers. But he could not be away from Hermione. He wouldn't risk it.

"I... I'm not sure we can do that," Ron said tentatively. Hermione looked down at her lap, and Ron could feel her next to him more acutely than before...

"Why not?" the healer asked, sounding exhausted.

"Well..." Ron continued slowly, "we can't really separate, can we."

The healer watched the two of them for a brief moment, nodding very slowly.

"I know it's going to be hard to separate," she said, "but if it's very quick-"

But a crash resounded, startling them all, and the healer turned her wide eyes over her shoulder.

"Excuse me," she said as she hurried off to investigate the noise. It appeared that an assistant had knocked over a tray.

An uncomfortable silence filled the air as the four of them sat thinking. Ron bit his lip, trying to stop noticing the way Hermione's body pressed a bit tighter against him each time she took a breath... But then he felt her hand in his. She tugged his hand, sliding down the bed.

"Ron, come with me for a second," she said softly, not looking at him as she got out of the bed, still holding his hand as he climbed out next to her.

They left Harry and Ginny staring after them and headed for an empty area a few beds down. The curtains were pulled back and a bed sat waiting for a patient to eventually occupy it on the other side. Hermione dropped Ron's hand and waited for him to clear the curtain before drawing it shut. He watched as she wrung her hands, her eyes focused on a spot on the curtain to his left.

"We need to do this," Hermione said finally. "She's right. We could be breathing it in while we sleep."

Ron stared at her, trying to understand what she meant, what she was implying.

"Hermione," he began, and she obviously correctly concluded what he was going to say next, what objection he was about to raise, because she shook her head and interrupted him before he could continue.

"I know we can't separate," she said, and Ron's eyes widened as he watched her. He felt his heart beating madly inside his chest.

"Then... what..." he said slowly, trying to be sure he understood. Hermione closed her eyes sharply as if a blinding light had just been turned on in front of her. When she opened them again, she looked sadly up at Ron before resuming her staring match with the curtains.

"I know it's probably _awful _to think about, and it'll be _really_..." she trailed off, unable to complete her thought. "But... we should... we need to just..."

"Are you saying we should... go _together_?" Ron asked, his mouth dry all of a sudden.

"If... if it's alright with you..." Hermione managed to say, her cheeks a bit pink.

Ron felt like his head was about to explode. Hermione was asking him to take a shower with her! His heart was moments from bursting out of his chest, he knew it. He felt his legs weaken as he focused his eyes on the bed behind Hermione, unable to look at her even though he knew she wasn't looking at him either. He forced himself to remember what this was for, that they had no choice. He was aware, in the back of his mind, that she was still waiting for him to respond, to say it was fine. Because it was fine, wasn't it?

He swallowed the lump in his throat and opened his mouth, but he could not make the words pass through his lips. He realized that he didn't even know what words he was trying to say.

"It's too weird, isn't it..." Hermione finally said.

Ron looked at her now for the first time since he had figured out what she was implying. She had the wrong idea. It wasn't as if he didn't want to do this. That was the problem... he _wanted _to do this... for another reason entirely. And now he had to pretend like it was fine, like he wasn't nervous, like this was only for their safety, but... he wasn't sure he could do it. He wasn't sure he could turn off a part of himself and do what they had to do. But as he watched Hermione, he remembered why he was here, what had happened, and that this was a chance to stop it.

"No, it's not too weird," Ron heard himself say, though he had no idea how he had managed it. He blinked heavily and realized with concern that he was feeling weighed down again. Hermione was only a few feet away from him and already a thin cloud of fog was settling over his brain. "Hermione, I think we need to... stay closer..." he said as he took a step towards her.

"Yeah..." she agreed, and he could tell that she had been feeling the same thing he had. He rested his hands awkwardly on her shoulders and their eyes met.

"Okay, yeah," Ron began after another awkward pause. He was determined to get this out right this time... "Yeah, it's going to be bloody awkward taking a... a _shower _together..." The words seemed to choke him up for a moment, and he could not finish until he took another deep breath. Hermione's cheeks turned a deeper shade of red as he braced himself to continue. "But... we really don't have a choice," he finished.

After a moment, Hermione nodded, her hands moving up to Ron's elbows.

"Okay," she whispered. "Just... promise this won't... ruin anything."

Ron furrowed his eyebrows at her, puzzled by her plea.

"What do you mean? What would it ruin?"

But another crash resounded and they both jumped.

"Bloody hell!" Ron shouted, looking back over his shoulder at the closed curtains behind him. "Better see what's happened."

He let go of Hermione and pulled back the curtains to see the same cart tipped on its side again and several assistants quickly cleaning up the mess.

"Pretty sure no one's going back to sleep tonight," Ron said, shaking his head as Hermione moved around him to look where he was looking, taking his hand. His expression turned guilty and he chuckled slightly as he considered the fact that it was completely due to him and Hermione that no one would be getting a proper night's rest tonight.

The healer sudden caught their eyes across the room and made her way towards them.

"I'm sorry," she said when she reached them. "Look," she began, obviously trying to figure out a way to convince them to separate for the shower.

"We'll do it," Hermione said firmly. "But we're not going to separate."

The healer's eyes widened to perfect circles.

"Ms. Granger," she began.

"No," Hermione interrupted. "This is how it has to be. I won't go through it again," she continued, choking up as she spoke. "I won't... l-let it h-happen again..."

Ron looked down at her, his hand tightening around hers involuntarily. And it occurred to him then, though he had not considered it before, that he didn't really know what was real, what Hermione had experienced, and whether, when he had thought she had really been there with him, she had been aware of the same things he was at all. Her nightmares could have included a much different fear, something completely irrelevant. He had no way of knowing what she had been dreaming, what she was now thinking of, so frightened... and it made him doubt too many things to name. He wanted to ask her. He needed to. But he knew he couldn't, not yet. He wouldn't make her tell him, wouldn't ask that of her when it was all still so new, so fresh in her mind.

"We've decided," Ron said definitively as his eyes moved back to the shocked healer in front of them. "We have to do this together."

It took nearly a full thirty seconds for the healer to finally nod her head and look away from them.

"Come with me," she said simply, her voice holding all the confusion and strain that they all felt at this point.

Ron and Hermione followed her towards the doors. They caught Harry and Ginny's eyes where they were standing near the upturned cart, and as Ron slipped through the doors after the healer and Hermione, his hand still held tightly by Hermione's, he considered the fact that Harry probably knew what they were about to do... Harry's eyes searched him, and he felt that his best friend could really read his mind. Harry nodded once as Ron disappeared into the hallway with Hermione.

* * *

The walk down to the showers was one of the most awkward walks that Hermione had ever experienced. She had to force herself not to look up at Ron, not to even consider that he was there beside her, his hand clasped in hers. What they were about to do... well, she could hardly stand to think about it. She had never felt so nervous in all her life. They were about to have to strip down to absolutely nothing and climb into a shower together... It was making her feel so queasy that she thought she might not even make it the rest of the way there on her own feet.

But then they were turning into a small room full of lockers, and she felt her stomach drop further down, probably through the floor itself at this point. The healer moved across the room quickly and reached into a cabinet, removing several towels, clothes and bottles. Ron and Hermione remained a few feet back, standing awkwardly in the middle of the room, watching her.

"Wash your hair and your skin with these," she instructed as she turned back towards them. She handed them each a bottle. "Make sure to be as thorough as possible."

They both nodded, their hands still clasped tightly.

"The showers are just through those doors," she said, pointing to her left. "Here are your towels and some clean pajamas." She handed them each a stack. "If you need anything, I'll be just outside..." She looked like she wanted to say something else, to comment or tell them they didn't have to do this, but the look of determination in both of their eyes must have kept her mouth shut. She nodded once more and turned, leaving them alone in the locker room. The door banged startlingly behind her and both Ron and Hermione jumped.

"It'd be brilliant if people would stop banging everything around," Ron commented.

"Yeah," Hermione agreed, her voice shaking even on such a simple word.

They both set down their towels and pajamas and sat on a bench in front of the lockers, still holding hands. They were at the end of the line, nothing left to do now but what they had come here for. Hermione's skin tingled furiously, breaking out in countless goosebumps as she felt her hands begin to shake. Not wanting Ron to know how scared she was, she dropped his hand and busied herself with removing her socks.

"Hermione," he said, and she could feel his eyes on her though she did not look up. "We don't have to do this. You can still change your mind."

"No," Hermione said firmly, but she looked over at him finally, searching his eyes. "Unless you-"

"No, I'm fine," he interrupted, and she was overwhelming glad that he had. A layer of fear was washed away as he smiled softly at her. She wondered if he was even close to as nervous as she was. She got her answer as she watched him taking off his own socks, his hands beginning to shake too.

"Maybe it would be easier if we... talked about something else," Hermione suggested as she straightened up on the bench, alarmingly aware of the fact that she was about to have to start taking something more substantial off...

"Yeah, okay," Ron agreed. "And maybe... we should... turn our backs to each other?"

Hermione felt her flushed cheeks increase even more in temperature as she swallowed and nodded. They each lifted one leg up over the bench so they were straddling it, their backs together, touching for now.

"So... what do you want to talk about?" Ron asked, his voice shaking. And Hermione felt him move a inch away from her.

"I..." she began, but then she could sense that he was removing his shirt, and she even felt the fabric brush against her as it bunched together halfway up his back. She lost the ability to speak and simply waited for him to say something else, _anything _else...

"You okay?" he asked. "Not feeling sick, are you?"

If she was going to be honest, her answer would have to be yes, but she knew what he meant, that he was only talking about the smoke, and she shook her head.

"No, I'm fine," she managed to say.

* * *

Ron tried to swallow the lump in his throat, but it was no use. He twisted his shirt in his hands, feeling the cool air of the room brush over his now bare chest. He needed something else to do, something else to think about... He opened his mouth, ready to talk about anything else, but before he could say a word, he felt Hermione moving behind him. His eyes darted as he tried to determine if what he suspected she was doing was actually what she was doing... A shuffling, then she fell silent again. She moved behind him, adjusting her position on the bench. He realized he had stopped breathing...

Her bare back brushed against his for a fraction of a second before she moved away as if burned. His heart had stopped. He knew it had.

"Sorry," he heard her mutter. He shook his head, but not only was the motion too small for anyone to discern, he was also still facing away from her and she obviously could not see his movement. But it didn't matter. He couldn't speak. There was no chance.

He closed his eyes, trying to focus, to remember to breathe. He felt her moving again behind him and he tried as hard as he could not to imagine what she was doing. As a distraction, he lifted one leg back over the bench so he could unbuckle his belt. As he looked down at the belt buckle, he felt a small wave of dizziness pass through him. It alarmed him and he looked to his left involuntarily, forgetting that Hermione was sitting half naked behind him. He caught a marginal glimpse of her bare back, but enough to notice that there were no straps on her arms or crossing her back in the middle which meant...

Gasping lightly, Ron turned back to face the other way.

"You okay?" Hermione asked, a bit breathless. Ron cleared his throat.

"Uh, yeah," he said shakily. "Do you feel dizzy?"

"A little," Hermione admitted.

"Okay," Ron said, nodding, trying to regain some of his composure. "We should hurry."

Inside his head, Ron began to recite a list of spells he remembered memorizing for an exam. His hands moved at top speed. He shifted on the bench and removed his trousers completely, letting them gather in a heap at his feet. He heard Hermione let out a shaky breath, and he had to force himself not to look back again. Instead, he extended his left arm behind him, careful not to move it too close to where he knew she was. He wanted her to see his hand...

* * *

Hermione focused on her breathing... in, out, in, out. She felt a bit lightheaded, but she knew it wasn't entirely the smoke that was causing it. She did not have to look back to know what Ron was doing... she heard the clang of his belt buckle as his trousers fell to the floor. Her eyes widened, her heart pounded. She exhaled shakily... and then, to her right, there was movement. Ron's hand. He kept it there in midair, waiting.

She held her breath as she felt her eyes tear up. She wasn't sure why, but this one little thing, his hand there for her to hold, made her feel so overwhelmed. He was perfect.

She took his hand and squeezed. It was awkward, holding hands the way they were, their backs still turned to each other's. Hermione's arm began to cramp up, so she dropped Ron's hand almost as quickly as she had taken it. But this time, she was determined. Courage raced through her as she stood and removed the last of her own clothes. She shivered, all of her skin now exposed, and then she reached for her towel, wrapping it around her body.

"Ron?" she said, not daring to look back at him.

"Hm?" came his raspy voice from behind her.

"I... I'm ready... whenever you are," she said, closing her eyes as she felt herself strongly compelled to turn around. She heard the bench creak slightly as he stood, and she could hear the shuffle of him removing the last of his clothes. She wondered if he was facing her, and the thought of it made her head spin.

"Okay, me too," Ron said, and Hermione turned around slowly to face him. His towel was wrapped around his waist and he was carrying his pajamas and bottle under his right arm, holding the towel securely shut with his left hand. His chest rose and fell rapidly as his eyes met Hermione's. "Uh, should we..." he said, his voice shutting down before he could complete his thought, but Hermione nodded, understanding him, and she turned, heading for the showers. Ron followed her closely, and when they reached the first curtain, Hermione set her pajamas down on the small bench next to it and stared at the closed curtain as if it held some secret or code she was trying to decipher.

She felt Ron moving beside her. She didn't dare look at him, terrified that he was watching her...

* * *

"Hey," Ron said, feeling a wave of courage, "I... I'm not going to look. Let's just..." He swallowed hard, looking away from Hermione. He knew what he needed to do. "Right. I'll go first," he said. His hand released the towel he was holding without allowing his brain time to consider it. The towel fell to the floor at his feet, and in one quick motion, he swept back the shower curtain and stepped inside, closing the curtain behind him.

He turned on the water, jumping slightly as it came out a bit too cold at first. He adjusted the temperature, singing a song inside his head to get his mind off the fact that Hermione was still somewhere behind him. He had no idea what she was doing or thinking, and it was driving him mad...

"Hey, Hermione," he called out, shocking himself with the sound of his own voice, "remember back in fifth year that one time when me and you had Prefect patrol and we found Trevor halfway down a flight of moving stairs?" Warm water cascaded down his body and his hair stuck to his forehead. He heard the curtain open again and had to literally press his hand to the wall to stop himself from turning around.

"Yeah," Hermione said through a shiver, "I remember." And though he could tell she was trying to hide it, he heard a sob escape her, and all of his plans, all his will power vanished. He turned around, his eyes raised so he would not accidentally see anything below the top of her head.

"Hermione," he began, reaching a hand out to her again. She sobbed again, and he felt his heart melt, all of his own fear and nervousness edging away. "Hermione, what's wrong?"

She took a step towards Ron, then another. The top of her head moved closer to him. The temptation to look down at her face was nearly too much, but he resisted.

"C-can I... please..." she said, and though Ron had absolutely no idea what she was asking, he nodded.

"Yes," he said, and she took another step. He felt her arms circle his body, felt her chest against him. She pressed her head to his shoulder and her hair tickled his skin as the water from the shower coated her body. Her hair gradually tamed itself as the water ran through it. She shook slightly, clinging onto him as if she would die without him. It was ironic how true that statement really was.

Ron could not have been more shocked to feel her naked body against his own. He shivered fiercely, though he was not cold at all. The warm water slid down his body, covering hers too, moving between them, pooling wherever it could against their skin where it was pressed to the others'. Ron's arms shook furiously, but he managed to move them around Hermione's shoulders, holding her against him.

Her skin was like silk, the softest thing he had ever felt. And every bit of it that was pressed to his own felt more real, more alive, than anything he had ever touched. It was as if something in his brain had told his own skin to double in sensitivity. He was intensely aware of each bit of skin, each hair on his chest, each muscle in his back where her hands moved slowly up. He stared over the top of her head, his heart pounding. She was making him lose all sense of logic or reason, all knowledge that he had ever learned. He felt a wave of embarrassment as he realized what she was going to discover, to feel if she kept this up. But he closed his eyes, chanting his list of spells again, trying not to let the bliss he was experiencing overtake him any longer. He was here for her. She was in his arms because she needed him. And he wasn't going to let her down, wasn't going to let his own emotions and sensations affect what was happening...

It proved quite impossible however, and he was immensely relieved when he felt her stir, her arms slackening their grip on him.

And she finally moved away completely, her cheeks now very red. And without another word, they both quickly washed themselves with the soap they had been given, careful to be as thorough as possible. When Ron had finished, he squeezed past Hermione, willing himself not to look at her. He pulled back the curtain and wrapped the towel around his body, drying himself quickly. He heard the water shut off behind him and felt her move through the curtain to her own towel, her shoulder brushing against his back briefly.

"Ready?" Hermione asked. He turned and met her eyes. And for a second, time seemed to stand still. It didn't matter that they had just done something terribly embarrassing. It didn't matter that Ron was sure that Hermione knew what she had done to him... They were alive. And as many times as it kept reoccurring to them both, as many times as Ron kept having to remind himself that he was awake, that her life was not a fantasy, not a dream or a creation he had made up in his own mind, it never failed to amaze him.

Hermione took Ron's hand, breaking eye contact. They crossed into the locker room together and approached the bench, dropping hands and turning their backs to each other. They dressed silently, and when they were through, Hermione found Ron's hand extended to her again.

Alive. Ron thought it might have been the most beautiful word he had ever heard.


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

The healer took Ron and Hermione back to the infirmary, examining each of them briefly before walking away. Harry and Ginny were no where to be found, and Hermione assumed they had gone back to bed. It was, after all, four in the morning. Ron sat down on the edge of the bed, looking up at Hermione, waiting for her to sit too. Smiling shyly, she sat next to him, sighing.

"Long night," Ron said thoughtfully, and Hermione nodded.

As they sat silently together, Hermione noticed how quiet the infirmary had grown, and she suspected that everyone had managed to go back to sleep after all. She felt Ron's fingers on her wrist and looked down, watching as he absentmindedly played with the cuff of her long sleeve pajama shirt. The dim lights overhead went out, and Hermione suspected that the healer had extinguished them. The white curtains had been neatly drawn once again around the bed where Hermione sat with Ron, but when she heard the doors open softly and click shut, she assumed they were now alone, save the other patients now sleeping, or trying to, in their beds behind their own white barriers. The only light now in the room came from the moon outside, still high in the sky. Soft light flowed in through the windows high up on the walls and glowed on every surface in the small enclosed space she shared with Ron.

"Wish they'd give us our own room," Ron said quietly. Hermione glanced over at him and immediately noticed how pink his ears had turned. He was looking down at the rug next to the bed, but his fingers had stopped moving, resting gently now on Hermione's wrist. She turned her hand over and laced their fingers together as her eyes moved forward to stare at the curtain, her heart speeding up again.

* * *

Ron shut his eyes briefly, cursing himself silently. He wasn't sure what had compelled him to suggest something like that... _their own room_... He felt Hermione's eyes on him and knew she'd be able to see his blush, but then her fingers were tangling with his and he couldn't help but smile.

"We should sleep or we'll be tired all day," Hermione said sensibly.

"Yeah, okay," Ron said in a strained voice. He knew they'd sleep together in this tiny little bed again, his arms around her. He knew that's what they had to do. But was it what she wanted? How could he discern the difference between want and need? How could he really know what she had dreamed, what horrors she had been too afraid to face again? He'd ask her... He'd finally-

But she dropped his hand and climbed into the bed, turning onto her back and pulling the sheet up under her arms. She was no longer touching him, though he could sense her. It would not be enough, he would not be able to last long without her, so he followed her lead and climbed into the bed next to her, more aware now than ever of each place where they touched, so close together because they had no choice...

"Would you..." he started, thinking the end of the sentence that he left hanging... _be with me anyway?_ But he noticed before he completed his thought aloud that her eyes had slipped shut. She opened them slightly at the sound of his voice, waiting for him to finish.

"What?" she whispered sleepily.

"Nothing," Ron said with a half-smile. "Not important." He could tell she was curious but resistant to push him. She waited a long time before nodding and closing her eyes again. Ron wondered if her breathing was still so quick even as she drifted off to sleep because she was scared of her nightmares or because she felt something like he felt, something between them that was still unsaid, still waiting to be uncovered and addressed.

* * *

_He had so many freckles on the side of his neck. His hair blew away from his skin and allowed her to see them for the first time in years. He had never worn his hair as short as he had back in second or third year, back before she would have thought to count every little auburn freckle down from his ear to his shoulder..._

_His pale eyelashes fluttered against his white cheek as his hair tickled his face. Something green danced between them, blocking her view of him for a moment, and she quickly realized that they were lying in the grass, him on his back, and her... facing him on her side, her hair pulled back in a ponytail that she knew would not hold for long in this wind._

_He spoke, his voice light as the wind that blew over them. She heard him somehow in her dream, though he made no sound, as if she had read his mind..._

Hermione felt the dream world slip away as the solid realism of the person next to her moved, reminding her that he was really there...

* * *

When Ron awoke, a very jolly looking healer was walking around their bed with a notepad. Ron quickly spotted Harry sitting in a chair close by as well and Ginny biting her lip anxiously in the chair next to him.

"Wuz going on..." Ron mumbled as he removed his arm from around Hermione to lift his head for a better view of his surroundings.

"Mr. Weasley," came the healer's hopeful voice from the foot of the bed. "We have something we'd like to try, something that may cure you and Ms. Granger's condition.

"Really?" Ron asked, waking up fully now and propping himself up on his elbow. He felt Hermione stir against him.

"Ron..." she said sleepily.

"Hermione," Ron began, looking down at her, "wake up! They might have found a cure!"

"Really?!"

Hermione sat up quickly next to Ron, both of them staring at the healer expectantly.

"Last night," began the healer, "two of the Death Eaters known to be responsible for the creation and usage of Firewild smoke were captured by a group of our Aurors. One Auror was exposed to the smoke before the capture, and he immediately fell into a coma. There are several prototype antidotes. The most stable one was administered to the exposed Auror early this morning... and he woke up."

Hermione and Ron's eyes both widened. They glanced at each other before looking over at Harry who nodded, smiling slightly at them.

"He has had no side effects from the antidote, which leads us to believe that we have finally found a cure."

"If you knew about these antidotes before, why not try them on Ron and Hermione sooner?" Ginny asked in a hoarse voice.

"Because," the healer continued, "they had not yet been tested properly. They could have had a negative effect instead of curing Mr. Weasley and Ms. Granger."

"Then why use it on the Auror last night?" Ron asked.

"Once you've been exposed to Firewild," the healer said, "there is no waking up naturally."

"But _we _did," Ron interjected.

"Yes, but you are the only two that have ever survived," continued the healer. "In the case of the Auror last night, it seemed that administering the antidotes and hoping for the best was the only option that had a chance of curing him, of saving his life. And it worked. Which means we can use them on you safely now."

Ron and Hermione exchanged another look.

"What do we need to do?" Hermione asked.

"We'll need to administer the antidote to each of you, then separate you and monitor you for a period of time to be sure it has worked. We can test you both after a few hours to be sure all traces of the smoke are gone from your system."

Hermione shot another look in Ron's direction and he locked eyes with her, sure she was thinking the same thing that he was. She didn't want to separate from him and risk reliving her dreams.

"If this works," Ron said softly, speaking directly to Hermione now even though everyone else could hear him, "then it's worth it, right? We won't have to be afraid of this... we won't have to..." He stopped himself from saying '_we won't have to stay together all the time.'_ He didn't want it to sound like he thought of this as a positive thing. But Hermione nodded, and he detected a trace of hurt in the way she looked away from him. Had she guessed what he'd stopped himself from saying?

"Okay," Hermione said. "We should try this."

"Are you sure?" Harry asked, but he was still smiling and Hermione couldn't help but smile back as she nodded.

"It's going to work," Hermione said, sounding fairly certain now.

"I know it is," Harry said firmly.

* * *

"Okay," the healer said as she sat on the edge of the bed closest to Hermione. "Drink this." The healer handed Hermione a small vial of what looked like smoke. Hermione stared at it, confused by how similar it looked to the mist that had surrounded her and caused her condition in the first place.

"This is it?" Hermione asked, feeling a small amount of fear creep back up as she continued to watch the smoke swirl around inside the vial.

"Yes," the healer said, nodding. "I know it looks a lot like Firewild, but trust me, this is the antidote."

Hermione stared into the vial for another short moment before uncorking it. The smoke did not move out of the vial as the Firewild had. It was odd though, how it continued to swirl around inside it's small casing but made no move at all to escape. It was unlike anything Hermione had seen before.

"Wait!" Ron shouted quickly as Hermione began to slowly raise the vial to her lips. "I should go first."

"Why?" Hermione asked, looking over at him with puzzled eyes.

"Just... in case..." Ron said in a slightly embarrassed voice.

"In case what?" Hermione asked, narrowing her eyes slightly. "In case it's dangerous? In case it doesn't work? Why do you get to be the first to test it? How is that fair?"

"Fine," Ron said quickly, trying to avoid an argument. "Then I should get my own and go at the same time."

Harry bit his lip to keep from laughing as he watched Ron glare at Hermione, clearly not planning on backing down from his plan. Ron reached out and took Hermione's wrist, insuring that she would not try to drink it before he got his own vial. Hermione rolled her eyes as the healer reached into her robes, also very obviously trying not to laugh.

"Here's yours, Mr. Weasley," she said as she handed Ron the vial across Hermione. Then she stood and waited for them both to drink.

"On three," Hermione said with a slight sigh that for some reason made Ron grin.

"One," Ron began, "two... three."

They tipped the vials to their lips at the same time and swallowed the mist, both making confused faces as they lowered the empty vials.

"Did you taste anything?" Ron asked.

"No..." Hermione whispered, staring at the vial, eyes wide. "Didn't feel anything either, like I just swallowed nothing..." Ron nodded.

"That was... bizarre."

"Now," the healer said as she took the empty vials from Ron and Hermione, "Ms. Granger, come with me. Mr. Weasley, stay here... Berta!"

Another healer stepped through the curtains that separated Ron and Hermione's bed from the rest of the ward, and she took a seat next to Ron.

"Hiya," Berta said to Ron. "I'll be monitoring you while Angeline takes Ms. Granger into another room."

Hermione gave Ron a long, slightly scared look as she stood with Angeline.

"It'll be fine," Ron said, trying to sound reassuring. He reached out and took Hermione's wrist again, but very gently. Then suddenly, she leaned over him and hugged him tightly, her face tucked against his neck. When she pulled back, her cheeks were pink, Harry and Ginny were grinning, and Ron wouldn't look at any of them.

"Bye," Hermione said softly as she stepped closer to Angeline. She was lead out of the curtains and disappeared before anyone could say anything else.

* * *

Ron tapped his foot impatiently. He had moved from the bed to the chair Harry had been sitting in earlier to pacing the floor at the foot of the bed and now back to the chair. About every fifteen seconds, he checked his watch.

"How much longer?" he asked Berta, who was preoccupied at the moment with the magazine in her lap.

"Hmm?" she said as her eyes unglazed and she looked over at Ron. "Oh." She looked at her own watch. "Another hour I'd say," and she returned to her magazine.

"Someone should go check on Hermione," Ron said.

"Ginny's with her now," said Harry calmly. "She would have come back here to let us know if something had happened."

Ron nodded, knowing Harry was right but much too anxious to really accept it. He needed to see her himself, but he knew that wasn't possible now. He also had a strange feeling, a feeling that had begun to build sense Hermione had first disappeared from his view... a feeling that it was over, that he didn't need to be next to her to survive... that he was cured. He wanted to ask her if she felt the same way, if she thought it really had worked too.

* * *

"How do you feel?" Ginny asked, watching Hermione closely.

"Fine," Hermione said honestly. "It's gone."

"Are you sure?"

"I can just tell," Hermione said. "I feel normal again. I didn't realize how strange I felt before until now... now that I'm right again."

"Ms. Angeline said another hour and you can see Ron. He's fine by the way," Ginny added when Hermione opened her mouth, clearly to ask about him. "He was fine when I left him a few minutes ago and if something had happened-"

"-Harry would have come to tell us... or that other healer, what's her name..."

"Berta, I think," Ginny said as she sat in a chair next to Hermione.

"It's all over," Hermione sighed, feeling strangely confused about bittersweet acceptance of that fact. Of course she wanted to be okay, wanted the same for Ron too. But now... she felt an emptiness, knowing that she didn't _need _to sleep next to Ron every night anymore, didn't _need _to hold his hand in the hallways or... _take showers together_. She shivered as memories of the night before assualted her again. She had been preoccupied with this cure recently and had put her constant replaying in her mind of their shower on pause. But now it rushed back, playing vividly, reminding her of what she had to face when she saw Ron again, when they left St. Mungo's for... what? Where would they go? Would they go together? What was the plan?

"So what's next?" Ginny asked, and Hermione jumped at the sound of Ginny's voice and at the posed question that seemed to come from her own mind.

"What... what do you mean?" Hermione stuttered, caught off guard.

"Are you coming to Grimmauld Place?" Ginny asked, smiling softly.

"What?" Hermione asked, furrowing her eyebrows.

"Oh!" Ginny covered her mouth. "I thought Harry told you!"

"Told me what?" Hermione scooted to the edge of her chair, staring at Ginny, waiting impatiently for an answer.

"Damn it," Ginny muttered. "I... I guess I have to tell you now. Might as well..."

"What is it, Ginny?" Hermione demanded.

"Harry... well, he's been to Grimmauld Place fixing it up. He set up a room for each of us, me, you, Ron and Harry of course. He wanted to ask you and Ron to come and stay there with him. I guess he was trying to surprise you or... I don't know. But he didn't tell me _not _to say anything..."

Hermione felt her heart jump madly in her chest at the thought of living at Grimmauld Place... _with Ron_. And she knew Ron would say yes! It was perfect... Hermione laughed, grinning.

"It's perfect, Ginny," Hermione said. "Of course I'll come."

"Excellent!" Ginny exclaimed, looking slightly relieved. "But... you won't tell Harry I told you already, will you?"

"No," Hermione said, still laughing excitedly. "I won't."

"Good," Ginny sighed, leaning back in her chair.

* * *

"Come and live with you at Grimmauld Place?" Ron repeated, looking excited.

"Yeah! Could be fun, right?" Harry asked, grinning.

"Sounds great, mate," Ron said, distracted from worrying about Hermione for the moment.

"And uh," Harry started, looking mildly afraid to say this next part.

"Hm?"

"Well..."

"What?"

"What would you think if, uh, if Hermione and Ginny lived there too?" Harry asked quickly.

Ron's eyes widened and his pulse quickened. Hermione would say yes if Harry asked her... He was going to live in the same house as Hermione! Perfect.

"Yeah, sounds great!" Ron said enthusiastically.

"Really?" Harry asked, his own grin returning. "You're okay with it?"

"Why wouldn't I..." but Ron stopped short, suddenly realizing why Harry had been afraid to ask Ron about this. Ginny. "Oh. I was really only thinking about Hermione..." he admitted, blushing.

"Ah," Harry said knowingly, his grin widening. "I guess I've just discovered a way to make you okay with anything."

"Piss off, Harry," Ron said, but he was grinning too. "Well, when do we move in?"

"I figured, if you and Hermione really are cured, then we can go there today, after they release you."

"Wicked."

* * *

"Time's up," Angeline said sweetly, smiling at Hermione.

"It really worked," said Hermione as she stood. "Thank you so much."

"Let's go and see Mr. Weasley, shall we?" Angeline turned as Hermione and Ginny linked arms and followed Angeline out into the hallway...

* * *

"They should be on their way back now," Berta said, closing her magazine. Ron's eyes widened.

"Really?" Ron stood quickly and walked to the curtains, pulling them back to peak through at the double doors, his heart pounding. Mere seconds later, the doors opened to reveal Angeline, followed by Hermione and Ginny, both smiling, their eyes landing on Ron almost immediately. Hermione's smile softened as she locked eyes with him, walking quickly over to him. He couldn't wait for her to get to him. He pushed the curtains back and half-jogged to meet her in the middle.

"So it worked..." Hermione said, grinning broadly up at Ron when they stopped a few feet apart.

"It worked," Ron echoed.

"You're both free to go any time," Angeline said as Harry approached them.

"Hermione, I've just asked Ron to come and live with me at Grimmauld Place," Harry said as he joined the circle formed by Ginny, Hermione, and Ron. But Hermione's eyes were glued on Ron's, and Harry wasn't sure if she was listening. He glanced at Ginny who shrugged, amused. "So, _Hermione_..." Harry continued, "how would you like to come live there too? Ginny's got a room there also-"

"Yes, Harry," Hermione cut in, giggling softly.

"Brilliant," Ron said with a delighted sigh. "Let's go."


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**  
**  
Thursday.**

He sat on the side of his bed, staring at his hands clasped in front of him. It was much too quiet at Grimmauld Place. Harry and Ginny had gone to their rooms first, and after a few awkward moments together in the kitchen, Hermione had smiled and said goodnight, her voice cracking. Ron was sure she hadn't meant for him to hear it. Her cheeks had turned awfully pink as she turned away from him and ascended the stairs. And now here he sat, restless and wide awake, though it was nearly one in the morning.

It was like part of his soul was missing. He felt confused about the empty space, the one he hadn't really known could be there before she had shown him what he'd been missing, before he saw what it was like to be with her. Ever since their first kiss days ago in the Room of Requirement, Ron had grown so attached to Hermione and to the idea of being with her that even this small quiet space now seemed like half a world. And it had only made things a million times worse when his biggest fear, one he hadn't really even consciously considered before, had been realized so... realistically.

But then that brought him to his thoughts now. He still didn't know what Hermione had dreamt, what she had been too afraid of to talk about before. He wanted to ask her, but he knew he couldn't do it. And then there was his lingering fear that something was still wrong, that if he allowed himself to sleep, he'd fall back into his nightmare world where Hermione was being violently pulled away from him and he was powerless to stop it.

What if she was already slipping back into her own nightmare and he was here, unable to save her?

Ron's eyes widened. He knew in his heart that things were different, that they were cured, but he could not convince himself not to panic. He had to see her to know she was alright. It was the only way he would be able to calm down. But as he stood roughly from his bed and slowly opened his bedroom door, peering out into the dark hallway beyond, he realized that even if he saw her now, the moment he returned to his room he would begin to think again... and the same panic would begin to rise, preventing him from thinking of anything else. He couldn't go on like this, worrying and fearing for Hermione every second he wasn't with her. It wasn't practical. It wasn't logical. And he was sure that Hermione was sound asleep in her bed right now, perfectly fine, probably dreaming of something lovely... and he was overreacting.

But it was no use telling himself that he was being irrational. Sighing, he stepped out into the hallway and turned to head up to the next floor.

As he got closer to her closed bedroom door, he felt a lurch in his stomach, nerves racing. He reached a hand out slowly to touch Hermione's door, his fingers very gently caressing the smooth surface as if it was something sacred. He was ready to open the door, or he thought he had been, but now that he was standing here, he knew he couldn't just walk in on her. He had to knock.

Which meant she would know that he was here in the first place.

It was time to make a choice. Be brave and tell her, have the conversation that they had both been avoiding... or level his fear and return to his room.  
_  
She's fine. You would feel it if she wasn't. You would feel the same way. You would have passed out in your room that far away from her if things hadn't been fixed..._

The mist no longer had a hold on Ron and he knew it. Everything that had happened to them so far had been as if they were one person, experiencing the same effects at the same time... He was fine. So she was fine as well.

Ron lowered his shaking hand, took a step back and allowed himself one last lingering stare at the closed door in front of him before turning his back on the door and descending the stair again, back to his own bedroom.

* * *

Hermione's wide eyes glowed in the moonlight from the window nearby. She was sitting up in her bed, staring at her door. She knew it was ridiculous, but she couldn't help worrying. She felt like, in an absurd way, she was actually willing him to show up, to knock on her door right now.

And then there was a sound. She was sure she heard it, like a loose board creaking just outside her door. Her heart pounded in her chest as her eyes remained fixed on the door. If it was him, she would know any second. But time ticked by and there was nothing. She must have been hearing things. He wasn't coming. He was asleep and she was being irrational, ridiculous... silly.

Tears welled in the corners of her eyes and she shook her head angrily. Ridiculous.

* * *

Ron flung open his door and began pacing frantically. He felt like he was losing his mind, slowly going mental, and even though he knew it was happening, he couldn't prevent it. It was making him sick. His stomach was churning uncomfortably and he felt a bit lightheaded from anxiety. And though he could blame the mist and its effects all day long, he knew that that one damn kiss had been the catalyst for everything! He felt connected to her in a way he hadn't thought she'd ever want him to. Maybe she still didn't... maybe...

Cursing, he forcefully ran a hand through his hair, messing it up completely, causing loose pieces to shoot up and stay there, making him look quite deranged. This was absolutely insane. He had been going in circles, endlessly musing over every little thing until it felt like part of his life, something new he was just going to have to get used to. But the truth was that if he would or _could _just stop being a _bloody coward_, all of this could change!

It was his turn, his chance to make a move, to show her that he could do this. Maybe that's what she had been waiting for all this time. And the longer he stood here in this silent room, each shape and shadow in the darkness reminding him of how lonely he felt, how lost, the more crazed he felt. It was building to something, and maybe this was how he had to do it, to drive himself mental enough to do something stupid... but something that he'd be so relieved to have done in the end.

Breathing heavily through his mouth, his eyes wide, he could imagine her screaming, and his mind flashed brilliantly so he felt as if he was still standing there in the dungeon in Malfoy Manor, still staring forward at dark gray stone lit by shining orbs released from the Deluminator, her echoing cries above him ripping through him...

With a loud pop, he blindly Apparated out of his room, his stomach dropping to his feet the moment he realized what he had done... and that he couldn't undo it now, couldn't set his Apparition off course without splinching himself. And then, out of the tight blackness between where he had been and were he was headed, swam Hermione, sitting wide-eyed at the head of her bed as his feet hit the floor of her bedroom with a thud and a pop.

"R-Ron?"

"I'm sorry," he said quickly, the words rushing out of his mouth so they ran together.

"What's going on?" Hermione asked, sitting up straighter. This was it. He had never been so nervous. His whole body was shaking. He opened his mouth, and out poured all the words he had been thinking...

"Would you have been with me anyway? Would you be now? Would you if it hadn't been necessary? Would you want to? Because I would. I do."

* * *

Hermione gasped and clutched her blanket in her fists as she stared at him, his chest rising and falling so quickly it almost looked painful.

For an agonizing few moments, she couldn't speak or respond. Everything seemed frozen in place. He was here in her room so suddenly. She felt like the air around her had violently shifted. Oxygen was harder to take in. Her eyes were swimming out of focus with unshed tears. Her cheeks were so hot they could have been on fire. And _he _was the one who had said something first, though she never would have counted on it. She had wished, but never in a million years would she have really expected... and now everything she had been thinking and dreaming and hoping had entered her room without warning... and she was faced with it, unprepared.

Unable to do anything else, she finally nodded, watching with awe as Ron's eyes widened to full circles.

"Wh-what did you dream?" he asked her in a whisper.

"That you were dying," she admitted, just as softly, "and I c-couldn't save you."

"Me too."

"And... and you told me that you..." Hermione's breath hitched in her throat.

"...loved you?" Ron finished for her. She nodded. "Yeah, I did."

Hermione floated out of bed, hardly aware that she was even using her legs. She stopped a few feet in front of Ron.

"So... now that I'm alive..."

"...do I still mean it?" Ron asked, finishing her question once again, his voice cracking.

Hermione barely nodded and so did Ron, almost at the same instant.

"It... it wasn't just a dream! You r-really..." but she couldn't go on. She would choke on her tears if she let them overtake her. It was like living in a dream, but the best one this time, a fantasy world where she got what she desired most in the world. Discreetly, she pinched her own arm, her eyes locked with Ron's so he wouldn't see her. But she was still here with him. It wasn't a dream. She was alive. He was alive. And no matter what... he really loved her!

* * *

"I... I was terrified that it was all just... in my own head," Ron admitted, overwhelmed. "I thought maybe... I imagined what you said because that was what I... wanted most."

"Me too," Hermione cried.

"This is incredible..."

Hermione broke out into nervous giggles, and Ron smiled sheepishly at her. He felt a rumble in his chest as he tried to refrain from laughing, but it was unavoidable.

"We were sliding down a street, then off a cliff," Hermione said through a wave of laughter. "Was that really you? We were having the same dream?"

"Yes!" Ron said happily, chuckling. "I thought it seemed different that time. How the bloody hell did we have the same dream? That's mental..."

"I know..." Hermione sighed, her eyes sparkling with the remnants of her happy tears.

"Too bad it wasn't a good dream otherwise," Ron said, but his cheeks and ears turned red nearly before the words had left his lips.

He looked away and shrugged very slightly. It somehow mattered a lot less now that it was obvious he had embarrassed himself again. Hermione's giggling continued, and Ron found himself totally taken by her. He didn't think he had ever heard her make sounds like that before. It was... girly. And beautiful. And kind of turned him on... Alarmed by his thought process, he tried to focus on the nerves instead, figuring that they, at least, would keep him from showing any signs of... anything else.

"Ron..." Hermione said timidly, and he nodded at her to let her know he was focused on her.

He couldn't speak yet, not before he knew what she was about to say. Judging by the way that his pulse had quickened simply from the way she'd said his name, he was soon going to be hit with another wave of giddiness that he wouldn't be able to control...

"Will you say it again... now... while we're both awake?" she asked in a tiny voice.

"Yeah." His scratchy voice created the word as a sort of grunt rather than anything that resembled the English language. He cleared his throat. "Only if you say it at the same time," he added, grinning now, his hands shaking again.

Hermione nodded in response.

* * *

"Ready?" she said in a voice that was nearly as hoarse as his had been.

"Yeah."

They opened their mouths and breathed in at the same instant...

"I love you," they said in almost perfect unison.

Hermione bit her lip, staring up at Ron as he smiled lopsidedly at her. And then she couldn't stand it any longer. She toppled against him, laughing and squeezing her eyes shut as she pressed the side of her face into his chest.

"Stay here tonight," Hermione mumbled against his shirt, her heart beating a fast paced rhythm against him. His arms circled her and he squeezed her tightly as a response. "Stay every night," she breathed.

Ron chuckled nervously, and Hermione suddenly realized that he had not actually replied to her initial request just for _one _night... Nausea began to set in as she opened her eyes wide, staring at the side of Ron's arm where it was half-resting against her face in this position. But then, she felt his chest move as he took in the necessary breath to speak.

"Poor Harry went to a lot of pointless trouble to set up two rooms for us," Ron commented, still laughing.

"He sure did," Hermione sighed happily.

* * *

Ron let her go only enough to pull her towards her bed. They climbed in, faces red, and settled next to each other.

"Sweet dreams," Ron said softly.

"If you get bored with yours, come check out mine," Hermione joked. "I could use the company."

Ron grinned as her hand found his under the blanket. All fear, loneliness and distress had been replaced with an awkward, beautiful mixture of happiness, peace and excitement all at once.

He realized, with a squeeze of her hand, that he would never again be able to explain away his emotions in a few short words. They were as complex and perfect as Hermione had once told him they could be. And he wouldn't change a thing.

* * *

_**A/N:** Thanks to everyone who has stuck it out with this story all the way to the end! Thank you for your patience as I took my sweet time to write this last chapter :) I had actually originally intended to do another chapter after this, but I kind of think I like the ending as it is here. What does everyone else think? I am up for either option :) Hope you all enjoyed it!_


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